Lingering Nights
by A. G. Moria
Summary: A child that no one would miss goes missing after several events. The guardians would normally let the police handle something like that, but she's not taken but someone normal. Actually she's not even taken if she had to say so herself. The girl would say that she left by her own will since she wanted to stay with the Nightmare King.
1. Fallen Angel

**I'm only saying this for this one chapter so let that be known to all of you, I don't own anything having to do with Rise of The Guardians. **

**Now chapter one for this story will begin…**

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Silently I watched the others play and chase each other in the freshly fallen snow. They had no idea how anything in the world worked and yet they played without any care. Some of them knew death and knew it very well but they all forgot, but not me. You see each one of us orphaned by our parents and then befriended by other children that lived at the Children's Home. Each and everyone but myself that is.

To my caretakers here I was known as the "Soul Stealer" and I rather hated being called that no matter how much it fitted me. To the other children here I wasn't called anything but everything listed underneath "devil".

I was only five years and six months old at the time. Brown hair that turned blood red an inch before my hair ended. Cold, dead, silver eyes that instantly let people know that I didn't want to deal with any of their shit that they were going to throw at me.

Then there was the fact that I was also less than two feet tall at the time and was completely shorter than everyone around me. Alas, even if I was smaller and thought to be weaker I was fairly strong for my age. Even then I was constantly teased, nagged, bullied, beaten, and left alone for the most part since apparently I was the devil.

Why?

Both of my parents died in a blazing fire in the middle of the day as I played outside in the backyard without knowing there was a fire. I was the only one who survived the accident.

Of course, that led the children here always told me that I was the reason the fire started as for the fact I was apparently the devil. Our caretakers did nothing whenever I was told these opinions by the others but I didn't listen to anything they ever said. Whatever they said was death, but I was smart enough to look past death unlike most of these kids.

I knew of something much scarier, and that would be fear.

While the rest of my age group frolicked around in the snow I sat alone on a bench while holding an umbrella above my head. Looking down to my poorly made doll that I named Ghost, I always looked past the fact that he was just a rag pathetically sewed up by myself.

"Jack Frost sent us another snow day". I told him since he didn't have a face or eyes that could gaze upon the winter weather. "I wonder if he had a nice Christmas, but then again that was a few days ago so I doubt he would remember since he's so carefree. He seems like the type that would forget something very easily, Ghost".'

I tilted his head so it seemed like he was nodding in agreement with me. Then I had him turn back to the kids running around like little Eskimos.

"It's days like this when I wonder if I will ever get out of this place". I sighed heavily. "I mean the cold idea of the fact that I might actually leave this place. Of course, I will when I become old enough, but I really just want to know when that day is. Do you know, Ghost"?

Without hurrying, I easily shook his head sideways. Pretending like he did the action himself, I sighed and leaned back against the bench. I looked to the children shoving snow in their friends' faces and then at the Children's Home.

"Maybe it's another one of those days when I try and runaway"? I said. "It's not like they ever missed me the last couple of times I tried to run from here. Ghost, do you want to runaway again, or at least try to"?

It wasn't like he had much of a choice so I had him nod and then stuffed him into my coat pocket so he wouldn't fall out. Springing from the bench, I landed on the ground with ease and started to walk off to the center of town. No one would come looking for me and no one would even know that I was missing.

Like I said earlier no one cared, and I'd end up coming back anyway since I was only five years old. It wasn't like I could properly care for myself just yet.

Continuing on with my walk into town, I strolled down the road without paying attention to anyone who might've sent me a jeer or a sneer. Most people would glance a second time whenever they saw a little child walking down the street on her own in the middle of snowfall. Though, whoever cared enough to give a second look simply scoffed in disgust as they saw that it was me.

The only reason I didn't want to pay any attention to that kind of crap was because I didn't want to see any of that for a while since I had had enough of it for the past few years. Sure I could handle it and have been forced to handle it, but I just felt like I needed a break for once.

I mean for the lord's sake, I was known around town as the "Little Danger", which I wanted to punish the people who came up with that nickname but knew that I would only prove them right.

Some of the townsfolk thought I was the start of the fire as well as the children, but then again they were morons. Most of them probably hoped that I was going to be hit by a car or a train before I could go on living another day. Although, I still didn't care about what those people thought about me or said about me.

All I wanted was a break from that kind of crap.

Walking throughout the street and throughout town I noticed that some of the old churches had their gargoyles covered so snow wouldn't damage them. Getting off of the road I jumped onto the sidewalk and ran right up to three of the statues.

"Good day," I said to them. "You three shouldn't be sleeping in on a day like this though, Trafalgar, Ambrose, and Lucifer. Jack Frost sent us some snow and you guys should be able to see it fall as well as the rest of us".

Pulling off their sheets I smiled as I saw their ugly faces as for the fact I didn't find them to be ugly. I had known these statues to be my only other friends other than Ghost. They were always silent and each one of them only gave me one look, but I always liked to see their faces in the daylight.

I only found them a few years ago, yet I had come to know that they were in the same boat with me. Cast out from the normal people and given names to match either their actions or their appearance.

A small smile started to form on my face as I said, "Sorry guys, I might be seeing you for the last time right now. Ghost and I plan to runaway again, and maybe this time we'll never return. So if this is our last meeting... well, just take care you three and remember me when I'm far away doing who knows what".

Most likely this wouldn't be my last time seeing them but I felt the need to say something like this in case it actually turned out to be true.

When I felt the need to say something else to them, I heard a rock hit against the sidewalk and nearly land right beside my foot.

"GET OUT OF HERE"! People of the church yelled at me. "GET OUT OF HERE YOU DEVIL SPAWN"!

They hated me being near the churches and they hated whenever I talked to the gargoyles. Someone threw another rock near me and I quickly ran off as fast as I could since I didn't want to get hurt already.

The only thing was it was really unfortunate that I couldn't spend any more time with my friends of stone. It was a sad way to say goodbye if that was our last meeting together.

Still, the faster I ran the quicker I found myself in front of the mall that was all the way across town and far away from the church and its people.

Taking in deep gulps of air I rested for a little while in front of the entrance as I watched people walking in and out of the building. Once I got my breath back, I decided to give the mall one more look around before I continued on my way as a runaway.

As a couple walked through the doorway leading into the building, I slipped in right before the door was about to shut. Though, little did I know that the first step I took inside the mall would be the first step that I took that forever altered my path of destiny…

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**The end for this chapter but more is to come soon. Until that time you may read over this first chapter as many times as you like and review it if you also wish to do so.**

**Till the next chapter.**


	2. Fear Himself

**I'm deeply sorry for the long wait for this story to receive its update, but now the newest chapter is here for you to read.**

**Anyway this is the continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the second chapter of this here story…**

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From the darkness of the outside world I entered into a domain of normal mortality, but to most people it's called the mall. Little children dragging their parents into too many toy stores begging them to get whatever they wanted. Talkative salesmen and women who didn't let anyone get out of their sight without persuading them to buy something. Worst of all teenagers towered over me and I could hear them whisper here and there about what girl they would have first and what they planned to do. Truly the people around me were nothing short of short minded.

When I went to escape these people I tried to enter a store. However, multiple adults shooed me away from their stores as I tried to enter them and clear my mind of mortal insanity, hell, one adult even tried to throw a baseball at me. Those facts in mind, it was an unusually better day for me at the mall for me since I only walked away with a few scratches this time around.

Although, as I made my way into the center plaza of the mall I found out that several mall officers were starting to take down the Christmas decorations. They were even taking down the enormous Christmas tree that was covered with all kinds of gold and silvery decorations. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew that they were just going to take it out back and burn it to the ground like it never existed.

"It felt like Santa was just here yesterday and now they're already claiming the winter season is done". I sighed. "Tch, the ungrateful human fools that I have to deal with".

One last look around and I noticed that I had perfectly wasted my time coming in here, aside from hearing what I apparently am.

Starting near the closest exit I stopped when my eyes saw a few children running up to their parents crying their eyes out. Simply seeing that, I stopped and took the time to smirk at their tears since it was about time someone or something made them cry.

"I should've brought a camera". I chuckled darkly. "Although, to whom do I owe the thanks for making them upset"?

Looking around the corner I saw nothing but dust in the air and a huge demon dog that apparently no one else saw but children. _"Holy crap…"! _I instantly thought upon seeing such a creature from hell.

Trying to get away before the thing saw me was my first mistake since it seemed to smell my fear and began to pursue me right then and there. Skidding across the slick floor, I ran past multiple people who were shoved out of the way by the huge dog and yet still didn't see it. _"Shit, shit, shit"!_ I kept thinking wanting the beast to prey upon another child.

Once I ran past the clock tower that was in the middle of the plaza the hound stopped chasing me and fazed back into the shadows. Panting slightly, I watched as a very tall man appeared out of the darkness and freaked the crap out of even more children by sending horses and more hell hounds on them. He was dressed in a black robe of some sorts with pale, grey skin. He even had his slick, black hair styled to come out as slick spikes from the back of his head to match his sharp, golden/silvery eyes.

"Who the hell is that"? I whispered in a low tone.

A little boy tugged on his mother's dress. "Mommy, mommy the Boogeyman is after me"! He wailed. "He's trying to eat me"!

"Stop that or we're going home"! She scolded her son. "There's no such thing as the Boogeyman"!

The man frowned at the woman's words before releasing an even larger hound at the child. Even more were sent out to keep the children in fear as he continued on his way. However, when the hound came chasing after me again I stood my ground and found myself face to face with the dog straight out of hell.

"The Boogeyman," I half questioned the dog. "You should come scare little children around here more often".

After growling, barking, and snapping its giant teeth in my face, I scowled and walked to the other side of the plaza. The looming figure watched me with slight interest as I simply went on my way without any more fear towards the hell hound.

He, himself, was about to take his leave before a sharp snapping noise caught everyone's attention. The Christmas tree that the officers were taking down broke off of its base in the center of the mall plaza and was leaning every which way. Fear instantly ran through the minds of the people and they all began to race out of the plaza and even out of the mall.

In spite of all that was happening, I hadn't noticed the tree but I didn't look back to see what the screams were for. Truly I had thought more Boogeyman scaring the shit out of children, but hell I was wrong.

No quicker than a few seconds later, I saw pine needles falling in front of me and I looked up only briefly to see the huge tree about to crush me. I didn't even have time to open my mouth to scream before I felt a pair of hands shove me out of the direct path of certain death.

A loud crashing noise was the end to the falling log with branches and endless amounts of dust were thrown everywhere. I groaned as I felt my head throb from where it hit the wall right behind me and I looked up to see a grey figure pinned underneath the midsection of the tree.

"The Boogeyman…" I gasped in surprise.

A low moan of pain escaped his lips as he struggled to remove himself. He tried pushing against the branches that held down his arms but I knew that it was useless for him to try to do this on his own. Silently, I walked over to him and lifted the branches off of his arms only to find gold eye staring right at me with utter alarm.

I gave him a half smirk, "Thanks for saving me, sir".

He scoffed at me, "Don't get used to this child, I only did what I did as for the fact you're a believer of mine. You never even noticed the damn thing before it was about to kill you and I saved you. Let's just leave it at that".

"I don't think that's the only reason". I stated knowing there must've been more.

After my sentence, he managed to remove himself from underneath the tree only to find that his leg was bent at the opposite angle that it normal should've been in. I instantly gasped at such a horrible accident when the Boogeyman simply glared at it. He didn't say anything as he tried to stand up but when he put pressure upon his broken leg it sent him over the moon.

"AAARRGHHH"! He roared. "DAMN IT ALL"!

The Boogeyman fell to the floor and looked up only to notice that we were right in front of a furniture store. He managed to crawl his way into the store and pull himself up into a chair after plainly refusing any sort of help I tried to offer to him.

In spite of this, he didn't exactly seem all that in pain unless he put pressure on it but I could tell that he was still feeling a little more pain than in his leg.

I sat down next to the chair he was sitting and rested my head against his leg that wasn't broken. "So Mr. Fear why save a little devil such as myself"? I asked him. "If I died then no one would miss me or probably notice my absence. That's why I just want to know".

He remained silent for what seemed hours on end until he let loose a deep sigh and looked down upon me. "You… You just seemed to look like someone I knew… Someone who I knew a very, very long time ago". He spoke softly. "That person is now very much dead and I doubt that she would ever remember me... Well the man I used to be anyway".

"Family"? I questioned.

All he did was give a slight nod before returning his attention to the dimly lit store. No one was hanging around the mall as for the time being and if there were people here then they were outside trying to keep others from coming in. Hell, I bet if I was found in here then I would somehow be punished for just standing here just after being saved from my death.

I curled myself into a ball and hugged my knees as I held my doll even closer to my body. "I don't have a family either". I spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

The Boogeyman turned his attention back to me and noticed not fear but sadness swirling around my silvery eyes. He didn't speak up but instead let me continue to talk.

"My mother and father both died in a fire when I was very little". I told him. "It's sad but I can't come to remember their faces, how they laughed, not even a memory of a warm embrace. People around here have made my life a living hell since then by claiming that I am the fallen angel of heaven, Satin. I don't care if I'm a devil or not Mr. Boogeyman, but even people living in hell still have something I do not".

We both sighed and said at the same time, "A family".

**Third Person POV:**

He then threw a glance in her direction. Her hopeless expression made something... lurch within his black heart. He didn't know why he cared... but he did. Maybe it was because she seemed to be the same age his daughter had been. That or maybe he could just understand her loneliness.

"What do they call you, child"? He asked her.

"No one remembers what my parents named me and I never came to know my name". She sighed. "The townspeople call me many names, horrible names, but I guess you can call me Soul. What do they call you other than the Boogeyman"? She asked.

"Pitch," He stated. "My name is Pitch Black or some people call me the Nightmare King".

Soul slightly smirked, "Cool name, it's much better than the Boogeyman anyway".

He chuckled, "You think so, child. Well let me say that being named after some snot nosed brats was not my first choice of a title for you people to call me by".

They both shared a mild laugh together before Soul's attention went back to Pitch's broken leg. Sure enough it looked like it could take months to heal up all the way. However, seeing as the man before her was the Nightmare King and the way he showed his power earlier; it would probably just take a few nights to be fixed up.

She sighed, "So you just going to leave me alone now so you can return to wherever you came from"? That expression of sorrow came back onto her face and Pitch found himself wanting to instantly to rid her of that feeling.

"Um…" He tried to find the right words. "I don't… have to leave… right now anyway. I just wish to rest my leg as much as I can before returning back home. You are welcome to stay by my side until I leave however".

Soul's face lit up like the fallen Christmas tree before it fell and she climbed into Pitch's lap the very next second. His mind was wishing to place the child back down onto the floor. Hell, he said she could stay by his side not his lap. In spite of that, he felt something in his no longer beating heart that told him to do the exact opposite.

Pitch hesitated but he eventually pat the girl on the head only to find that she had managed to wrap her arms around his waist and was starting to fall asleep. He knew that he wouldn't dare disturb her now that she was falling asleep in his lap, and if anything Pitch knew that he would gain power if she received a nightmare.

However, as for the time being the Nightmare King simply leaned back in his seat and tried to rest some. After all a sleeping child meant more than just a nightmare; it also meant a visit by a certain guardian.

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**Sorry for the long wait once again but I've been busy with going back and trying to update all of my chapter stories. **

**You may now read over this as many times as you like and even review it if you deem it worthy to do so.**

**Until then I bid you all a slight farewell until the next chapter.**


	3. Sweet Nightmares

_**The continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the third chapter of this here story now begins…**_

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The midday soon vanished from the day's time and that allowed for dusk to come looming around in the evening sky. At this time some little children started to get ready for bed while others were already sleeping. Once all the kiddies were practically knocked out in their beds it was then golden sand began to appear over their heads and insure that they had pleasant dreams.

Well for most kids this is how it worked, but then there was fear.

Night Mares usually tried to turn the sweet dreams into even more Night Mares but when the horses did such an act they did it in a way that it wouldn't catch the guardian of dreams' attention.

In spite of that, one child never got sweet dreams and no matter how many times the guardian sent dream sand in the child's direction it just seemed to vanish. Sure as hell, this got Sandman's attention real quick.

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Within the mall and within the furniture store, Pitch's eyes snapped open as he sensed a golden strand of dream sand. The spiraling strand ran its way through the ceiling and headed right for Soul, but it turned black as coal before it was even three feet near the five year old.

Pitch hadn't even moved his hands from his side nor had one of his Night Mares tainted the dream with fear. He simply looked down at the little girl sleeping on his lap and took notice of the nightmare that was raging on within her mind. The Boogeyman watched with interest as Soul began to whimper in her sleep. Her nightmare formed above her head. It was just the girl, herself, with nothing but her little ghost doll in her arms.

Was she…?

Yes.

No doubt in his mind.

She was alone.

Pitch didn't know why, but this time... he felt a pang of empathy for the girl. Soul was really was all alone in this world. No friends, not counting the ghost doll, and no family to top the icing of the cake. Without a doubt, he knew how it felt to be alone, though he'd experienced it at a much higher level, but in a way Soul reminded him of his own daughter.

A tear almost came to his eye as he thought about a little girl waiting by her bedridden mother's bedside for her father to come home. He never came home that one day and soon enough the young girl's mother perished as well.

"You have more than enough fears, child". He said before he reached out and placed a pale, gray hand on Soul's warm forehead.

Instantaneously, the nightmare formed into black sand and crawled into his dark robe. Soul let loose a sigh in her sleep, a peaceful and innocent expression replacing her troubled expression. She actually snuggled herself even closer to Pitch and he barely believed that an actual child was comforted in the Nightmare King's presence.

However, that sweet moment was instantly ruined when the golden guardian himself came driving into the mall in one of those toy cars that young children rode around in. The Sandman stopped his shiny, sandy vehicle outside the store right as his eyes saw that Pitch was inside.

Pitch, not wanting the guardian to see the child, quickly moved part of his robe of the tiny figure the best he could. Although, it didn't really matter if Sandy saw the child or not, but what mattered was someone, guardian or not, seeing Pitch with a child all snuggled up to him.

Sandy's expression became as crossed as his arms as he walked right towards the dark figure. Question marks and exclamation points of golden sand formed above his head.

"Relax Sanderson; I wasn't supposed to be here right now anyway". Pitch explained. "That Christmas tree outside just happened to fall on me by accident and break my leg". He showed his broken leg that was only halfway twisted now. "Now if you're done judging me-"

His words were cut short by the sound of a child's soft whine. The said child then shuffled her way out from Pitch's robe and then lied sideways on his lap with her doll still in hand.

The golden guardian then started to have multiple symbols appear above him as his expression soon became enraged. Translation of the symbols: _"Why is there a child here!? Here with you anyway!? She should be back home with her family! Pitch release her this instant"!_

Pitch's eyes narrowed as he tried to hold the anger in his voice back. "She has no family. She came here by herself. She even climbed into my lap on her own, Sanderson. You have no right to take this child away from where she wants to be".

Sandy shook his head, obviously not believing a single word the Nightmare King told him, and whipped out his golden whips to restrain Pitch in the chair he currently sat in. He then took the child from him as he ignored the dark threats of the dark figure before him.

The said child then started to cry in her sleep and Sandy only shot Pitch a dirty look. Translation of symbols: _"Stop giving this poor little girl nightmares, Pitch"!_

"**I'm **not the one causing her to cry"! He hissed at the shorter figure while trying not to feel the gold sand restraining him, bend his leg back even more.

Rolling his eyes at the Nightmare King's words, Sandy tried to taint the girl's nightmare with a soothing dream.

Yeah that didn't work at all.

The golden sand was actually shot back right at Sandy's face and caused him to fly across the store and land on a sofa, whereas the child was simply tossed up into the air.

Gravity soon took effect and Soul, still sleeping through all of this, was now going to hit the cold, hard concrete floor. Two grey hands caught the tiny child and brought her close to the bare chest of Pitch Black. Only after he broke free of the Sandman's restraints of course.

Now able to at least limp, Pitch eased the child's nightmares once more and once more she calmed down and moved closer to the Nightmare King's chest.

"I hope you know the trouble you've gotten me into, Soul". He said softly as to not awaken the little girl.

Now all he had to do was take the small child back to wherever she lived and that would be the ending of their meeting. Pitch really didn't want to just dump the child back into the hands of useless mortals however.

No.

Just no.

No, just hell no.

He was the Nightmare King for hell's sake. Pitch Black was the one who turned children's delightful dreams into nightmares of reality, and reality wasn't a dream but it was certainly one hell of a bitch. He'd just place the child back into her caretaker's hands and forget this ever happened.

Too bad a blast of golden sand then exploded in the store and that meant Sanderson had gotten back to his feet.

Without even thinking about his next course of action, Pitch took to the shadows once more in order to return back to the realm of darkness he called home_._

The Sandman saw Pitch chose flight instead of fight so he put away his golden whips. Walking back to where he last saw the dark, looming figure he took notice of a little object that wasn't there before. Picking the object up, Sandy knew it to be the tiny doll the child had had wrapped within her arms.

Symbol translation: _"That dog! He's really done it now"!_

Jumping onto his own cloud of dream sand, Sandman began to head towards the North Pole to warn North and the other guardians what had just happened.

More translation: _"I've got to tell the others that Pitch has now started to form another plan against us! But to kidnap children"!?_

Sandy shook his head at such the horrid thought and continued on his way. He'd be sure to make sure that by the end of this Pitch would be the one having to feel fear.

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**_Ta-da! A chapter devoted to what I'd like to call nonstop inspiration all day. So you may now read over this chapter as many times as you like and comment if you deem it worthy to do so._**

**_Until next time._**


	4. The Presence Of Answers

**Continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter of this story so far…**

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The air, which was sweet with the scent of eggnog and cookies, was filled with flying toy airplanes and colorful kites. Christmas colors, decorations and all sorts of editable treats were everywhere.

Yep, sure enough this was North's workshop where the Christmas toys for all good little boys and girls were made. Whereas, the naughty children…well they're not mentioned…

Yetis crafted all sorts of wondrous toys that could fly, be able to drive, or even dive underneath water. All kinds of wonder packed into each and every toy that was made to have children's curiosity peaked to the fullest.

On the other hand, the elves were busy as well; they were testing out their own "toys" and baking half eaten cookies. Still they were helping out children as far as they were led to believe.

There was a gigantic globe in the center of the control room which was filled to the brim with golden lights, and it was also were the Guardians were summoned if necessary. Right now North was simply looking over the little lights one by one to ensure that each child was safe and where they were supposed to be.

However, the sounds of an engine coming from what was to be a plane instantly grabbed his full attention.

A little, golden plane flew over North's head before it turned around the globe and landed in the open area of the room. Sandy jumped out from his aircraft and symbols started going right and left and just way too fast for anyone to read.

"Whoa, whoa," North tried to calm the golden figure down. "Slow the horses, Sandy! Vhat be the problem"?

After taking a few deep breaths, Sandman slowly drew up his symbols. Translation: _"North it's Pitch! He's kidnapped a child"!_

"Vhat"!? He growled but tried to remain calm. "Are you sure this is vhat he has done, Sandy?! Ve can't just jump to conclusion you know, and I've just checked the believers! Everything looks to be alright"!

More symbol translation: _"Check them again! I might just be jumping to a conclusion but I swear it looked like Pitch was feeding off that little girl's nightmares just to regain power! He had just recently injured himself at a mall and must've taken the child from her parents when they weren't looking"!_

"Alright Sandy just calm down, ok"? North said.

Sanderson crossed his arms but soon threw them to his side over the fact North was right. He knew he shouldn't have been this worked up over this little situation but he just didn't want to see another child hurt by Pitch. Even if that meant going on this manhunt by himself if that's what it came down to.

On the other hand, Sandy worked hard on his dream sand and enjoyed bringing sweet dreams to each and every child each night. If the Nightmare King and his Night Mares stepped in and ruined them it was like shoving his work right back at his face. It was double that when a child would just have constant nightmares night after night just to fuel that of the dark king himself.

When he looked down at the tiny ghost doll in his hand, he only wanted to find the little girl even faster.

As Sandy's thoughts kept him at bay, North checked the enormous globe in the workshop, searching for one amongst the millions of lights. However, what he wanted to see what not there and that caused him to blanch.

"No, no!" North shook his head, pointing at an empty spot in the middle of hundreds of lights. "There should be a light right here! Does she not believe in us"!?

The Sandman shook his head. Translation: _"She saw me so she does believe in me, but I don't know about the rest of you. She's with Pitch right now so I guess she is where we can't find him"._

"Ah good," North said. "Ah, vait a second…" He looked at the globe and then back at Sandy. "Vhere vould that be exactly"?

Sandy went to say something but stopped when he realized he had no idea where such a location would be. He looked to the globe and looked right where that missing light was. Symbol translation: _"North it's time to call in the others". _

He looked down at the golden figure and then at the switch to summon the Guardians. "Our time to protect the children has once again come". North firmly stated.

Sanderson nodded in agreement as he glanced at the doll. Translation: _"It never left"._

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**Back With Pitch...**

Shadows parted at the Nightmare King's crossing as he seemed to glide throughout the darkness with ease and soon enough found himsself back within his own realm.

Since that little brawl with the Guardians he had but a year ago the realm remained the same other than a few large cracks here and there from where Pitch's power was shown to be drained.

The actual realm, itself, stood in what looked to be more like a cave while it was incredibly spacious and vast, the floors, walls and ceiling were made of worn down rock. The air was cool and almost freezing for most people but this was the home of the Nightmare King.

In spite of all of that, hundreds, if not thousands, of iron bird cages hung from the cave ceiling. Extremely thin rays of grey light streamed down from the ceiling to show something that was meant to be bridges formed from ancient stone.

Night Mares returned from their tainting of sweet dreams to find that their master had returned home. Most stayed back while a lone Mare approached its master.

Pitch almost flinched at the sight of one of his creations walking towards him but soon rid himself of the feeling and thought. It wasn't that ago that they tried to kill him one piece at a time, but as he regained power he regained control over his horses from hell.

The Mare sniffed at the crossed arms of its master only to flare its gold eyes at what held within them.

"What are you…"? Pitch's voice died down as he soon realized what had caused the horse to be flustered. He carefully held the object in his arms up and studied it with his golden/silvery eyes racing up and down within seconds.

Black sand appeared behind him and made a chair as he fell back. After placing the little girl down in his lap, Pitch raised a hand to his head as if he had a migraine.

"Soul…" The Nightmare King said her name slowly and then glanced back down at her.

Well what now?

He could easily bring the child back to wherever she was supposed to belong or just dump her on the side of the road for some adults to find. Like hell he was actually going to do that however. Pitch Black might've been cruel but to leave a child that was as small as this one all alone felt like leaving a defenseless baby alone, and he couldn't just leave her to die just anywhere.

Although, would anyone come looking for one little girl? An orphaned child that no one cared about and the same child that has been subjected to being treated like Satan, himself, for practically her whole life now. This girl was how old?

Four?

Five?

Maybe six at the most.

For all those years she's been thrown into darkness, casted out from the world entirely. Hell, her greatest fear was that she would never have a family or friends and that she would be alone for all eternity. Worst of all she feared that she would never know why any of this had to happen to her; the treatment of being a devil, the lonely life and the silent cries in the dark that would never be heard.

Pitch sighed, "I guess we're just two birds of the same feather, Soul". A pale, grey hand rested itself upon the child's head and carefully moved stray hairs back into their place.

After a while the Nightmare King stood up and began to walk around his realm with the child now in his arms. Amazingly the little one was still sleeping after what had happened and what was happening right now. Pitch simply guessed that this was the first time in a very long time that she's actually gotten a nice night's worth of sleep.

Arriving at what seemed to be a child's nursery; shadows moved out of the way and allowed Pitch Black to enter the room that hadn't been seen in centuries. He never knew why this room existed within his realm but it did and it could finally serve a purpose for once.

Placing the very tiny child down within a twin sized bed, the Nightmare King then retreated for the door after tucking the child in the bed.

He slightly nodded, "This is just until I can find out where I can place her without simply leaving her to die". He reassured himself. "Once I can find a suitable location for the child to go and live in that will be the end of this. With any luck this will be over by tomorrow night".

The shadows came back and surrounded the entry way to the room as Pitch left after silently closing the door.

Night Mares then stood outside the door wanting to cause the little child within the room nightmares but were not allowed to enter it by the word of their master.

Incoherent whispers of the night ran throughout the realm as faint cries of children echoed off the walls from the very edges of the cave-like home. Truly the actual presence of a child in the realm stirred the darkness around it, but for how long would it stir?

For how long would this child remain here?

* * *

**Until the next chapter of the story will such an answer be revealed or not be revealed. **

**As for the time being you can now read over this chapter as many times as you wish and give it a review if you deem it worthy as to do so.**

**Till next time.**


	5. Haunting Memories

**Continuation of the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter of this story so far…**

* * *

_An enormous, dark cloud rumbled around in the sky as everything grew quiet, deathly quiet. Animals fled from a field as a single figure still walked about without a care in the world. _

_Suddenly, out of the blue, came a bolt of electricity that shot down upon anything within its reach as roars bounced off cloud after cloud only to follow the bolt._

_Soon enough, an arrow of lightning struck a lone tree in the middle of the field where beside of it was the tiny figure, a child. Everything was fine, well fine for a few seconds before sparks began to appear. The sparks became flames and the entire tree was taken and turned into ashes in but a blink of an eye._

_The child only watched with tears streaming out of her eyes. However, the fire did not stay still and continued its way to the little girl. Closer and closer it came with no signs of stopping, but the child just stood there mourning not the tree's death but the death of a life itself._

_Orange flames soon engulfed the body of the child and she made no struggle to free herself from the heat of hell. She only continued to watch the ashes slowly fall from the sky and then land on two graves. _

_The graves of two, late parents. _

_Soul's parents._

* * *

"No…"

_Graves set ablaze…_

"No,"

_Two certain graves at that…_

"No"!

_Your mommy and daddy, Soul…_

"NO"!

_No time for that… Wake up you little devil…_

With zero light, zero sounds and zero ideas as to where she was, Soul sat up in a bed she had been placed in and raised a hand to her eyes. "Tears…" She sobbed lightly. "Why…? I- I just… want to know why"!

Memories of flames danced around in her head as little sparks could be seen flickering within her eyes. All she wanted was to be told everything was going to be alright, everyone was going to come out alright and alive.

The one memory of her father she had was a strong, firm voice telling her everything was going to be fine. Of course, he was lying and yelling that at her when Soul walked towards the fire and saw her mother and father were yelling at her to keep away from the flames.

"I- I don't want it t- to be this way," Soul whined as the tears built up in her eyes. "N- no more dreams of flames… No m- more"!

A cold embrace then tightly brought the little child close to the Nightmare King's chest. He had heard the crying from all the way on the other side of his realm and wasn't about to let the crying follow through into screaming and so on.

It might've been his job to make kids wake up in the middle of the night and scream but he couldn't stand the crying.

Nope.

Just nope.

Not one little bit.

Not going to tolerate it.

Not even for this child he's having to watch.

In spite of all of that, it was Pitch Black in the first place that had forgotten to keep this child's nightmares away and get rid of them by feeding on them, so it was really his own fault. However, he put that thought in the back of his mind at the moment.

"Why do you bother on crying about an event that happened so long ago"? Pitch questioned her. "There was nothing you could've done, no way of knowing how it began, and no way they could've survived such a tragedy".

Truly, he might've been a bit blunt but this child, as smart as she was for a five year old, needed to learn that what happened was in the past. Soul knew for sure that her parents were gone but she couldn't get the fact that they left her here to live on while they remained dead. If she never got that into her mind then she would continue to have this nightmare again.

Still, the shivering little girl continued to cry until her cries became soft sobs and light hiccups. Pitch once again hesitated but he eventually pat the her on the head again as to ease her rough nightmare.

"Mr. Boogeyman," Soul spoke out of the blue. "Have you ever lost your family in some way or some unusual fashion"?

Pitch looked away for a second only to look back into her eyes. "Yes I did have a family once. They're long gone and I'm all that's left, but yes I did lose those who I cared most for. The thought doesn't haunt me like it used to however".

She wiped away another tear from her eye as she looked down at the plain, black floor. "It haunts me; the fact I was there but I don't have a clue as to why any of it actually happened. I'm sorry… I just build up so much pain and then it just comes out at random times-" Another soft pat to the head silenced her.

He tried to give her one of his nicer scowls. "One such as yourself needs only to grieve at times you feel are the right times to grieve at. Soul do not let nightmares or dreams bully you into crying or whining. Leave your painful past behind. If you promise me that you won't cry if you get a nightmare from here on out, I'll…" Pitch tried to think of something that would be a gift for a child. "I'll get you a necklace".

Soul's young, little eyes lit up at the promise of such an item. In spite of that, for a couple of seconds it was hard for Pitch to think of something since this girl was five but she was also smarter than a ten year old.

"Any necklace"? She questioned the dark figure with a silly tone but a serious expression.

"_Oh good lord what have I done to myself once again"!? _The Nightmare King thought to himself before saying, "Of course child, but first our promise".

Soul smirked slightly, "I, Soul, hereby promise to not cry when nightmares strike me and also to leave my past behind and thus live with the Nightmare King in both of our futures-"

"That part we didn't say anything about"! Pitch broke out of his nice tone and snapped out.

"Ipromisetotrymybesttokeepthesewordsboundinfrontof theNightmareKing"! Soul finished without taking a second to take a single breath through any of her words.

Pitch sighed in irritation since he realized once again that Soul was only five or six and she would act like one sometimes. Truly, he only ever liked that age group when he was scaring them but this was as far as he would be able to cope with her mind when it was not the mind of that of a ten year old.

However, Pitch Black was indeed a man of his word.

Suddenly reaching into the endless black void that was the wall of the room, Pitch pulled out a cravat, necklace that had with it a dark purplish crucifix-like ornament with three claw-like appendages sprouting out from the sides and the top of the cross' points.

"Will this…" He tried to think of what the mortals said these days. "Um… work for you"?

Soul appeared to have the expression like a child would get on Christmas Day. "Where did you inquire such an item"? She asked with excitement and wonder hiding in the back of her voice.

Pitch shrugged, "It is simply one of the many things that has tagged along with me from when I exit a child's bedroom. The things that some kids shove underneath their beds is most of the time rotten garbage, but there are a few times when I find something worth borrowing. This is one of them".

Slowly, he held the necklace out for her to observe before lowering it around her head and placing it around her neck just right. After grabbing a small mirror, he held it up for her to see. "Now are we going to cry about nightmares or dreams anymore"?

Soul carefully grasped the necklace and studied it for the longest of times before simply jumping from her bed onto the Nightmare King. He, thankfully, caught the little child and managed not to drop the mirror at the same moment before setting both objects down on the bed.

"Try not to get overexcited on me now, Soul". Pitch firmly told her. "You still need to rest since you've been deprived of sleep for so long, alright"?

Given a couple of seconds, Soul nodded and was then tucked back into the little bed by none other than the Nightmare King.

Weird right?

Never the less, the tiny girl was soon sent back to sleep and Pitch Black was soon back to keeping his Night Mares in line and he certainly was going to kill the one that gave Soul a fright.

* * *

**You all may now read over this chapter as many times as you wish and even give it a review if you deem it worthy as to receive one.**

**So until the next chapter that is posted then.**


	6. Strategic Proposals

**This is a notice that the picture for this story is now that of the necklace that was described in the last chapter of this fanfic. **

**Details can only go so far so I find it helps a lot more of my readers by looking at a picture that regards to the title of the fanfiction or something that was in the story.**

**Either way this is the continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter of this fanfic at the time being…**

* * *

**North Pole: North's Workshop**

It hadn't been but an hour since North sent out the alarm for all of the Guardians to come together and meet, but so far the only person who was missing was Jack Frost. Sandy and North being the first there, Tooth and Bunny came within minutes of the lights appearing above them.

It was only until North was about ready to hitch up his slay and go find Jack that the winter sprite actually showed up.

Bursting through one of the windows of the globe room, Frost brought the cold northern air with him. "Hey what's got the lights going"? He questioned right off the bat as he whipped the snow off of his arms. "I was in the middle of trying to make the world's biggest snowman".

Somewhat flying towards a seat right next to Tooth, Jack took notice of the slight scowl on both North's and Sanderson's faces. Leaning over to Tooth, he asked, "What's up with those two? They look like they got chased down the street by Night Mares".

She nodded lightly, "Jack that is what we were here to find out". She then turned to North. "So now that we're all here, what's the problem"?

The scowl on North's face soon vanished and was replaced with an expressionless expression. "Now don't overreact when I tell everyone this," He stated right away.

Jack then leaned over towards the Pooka, who sat beside him, and grinned. "Bunny that's you".

A possible fight was stopped between the two by Tooth's mini fairies that came with her.

"Sandy has a very good reason to believe that Pitch has kidnapped a child". North finished.

Nothing but silence ran through the room for what seemed like an endless eternity. However, as quickly as the quiet came the shouts would last for twice as long.

"What"!? Tooth stood up from her seat and began to flutter in a panic.

Bunny was no different. "He did what to a little ankle bitter"!?

"How the heck could he have captured a kid that believes in us"!? Jack half yelled and half asked. "We would've known about this from the moment it happened! Sandy are you sure"!?

Symbol translation: _"I saw it happen myself and the worst part about it was the fact that he was feeding off of the child's nightmares! Once I tried to take the child away a fist full of nightmare sand attacked me and he ran off with the tiny child in his grip"!_

Sandy then showed everyone the little girl's doll and what it was slightly covered with was black sand.

"Nightmare sand," Jack hissed out.

Bunny shook his head. "That tears it! I say we find that fool of a Nightmare King and finish off what we started"!

"Vait, vait a second," North exclaimed. "Ve cannot just be going off to kill Pitch! Even if ve actually find out where he is, and I do not know if ve vill, there is the possibility that Pitch might harm the girl if ve dare to come near him"!

"Just another reason to finish him off, mate"! Bunny retorted. "We'll need to split up into two man teams first off! Then-" He was cut off by an elf being thrown at his face.

Everyone in the room looked down at Sanderson, who was glowing somewhat red with anger since no one was listening to him. However, he calmed down and more symbols appeared above him.

Symbol translation: _"Bunny is right about the two man teams, but the only reason we can't find this little girl is as for the fact that she is with Pitch and she may not believe in some of you. She saw me but I do not know about the rest of you"._

A brief moment passed in silence as the other took the moment to think about the information that they had just been given. Then it just seemed as if they all had the same idea.

"Jack go with Sandy to help him find Pitch". Bunny, Tooth and North stated all at once.

Apparently Jack wasn't on the same thought level at the time.

He leaned on his staff which was already perched on his chair. "I was actually going to say that we send Baby Teeth out to search for the little kid, but hey Sandy and I taking a trip together is an ok plan as well". Jack said. "Hey how old did that kid look anyway, Sandy"?

The golden figure thought for a second about the child and then held up a whole hand.

"Five years old," Tooth muttered lightly. "I bet she hasn't even lost a single tooth yet, so she obviously doesn't believe in me right now".

"He took a tiny five year old"! Bunny growled. "I ought to give him five fingered fist to the side of that cold, clammy face of his"!

Jack slightly grinned, "Calm down Bunny, but seriously take a chill pill. Sandy and I will find out Pitch's new location and report back here right as we find it, ok"?

North tried not to look too surprised and so did everyone else, but Jack was actually going along with a plan and a plan that he made to top it off. The winter spirit might have been a young adult but he was also the Guardian of Fun so he was not going to be serious or take things seriously half of the time.

Sanderson nodded in agreement with Jack's idea. Translation of symbols: _"I'm all for the plan. North, we'll be back as soon as possible with information regarding Pitch's location. Until then the rest of you can spread out across the globe in hope of finding both the little girl and the Nightmare King"._

The window that Jack had flown into the room from was now reopened. The winter spirit flew out of the room with a cloud of golden sand carrying the Sandman following right behind him.

Tooth and her fairies would go back to the Tooth Palace to spread the word for all the fairies to be on the lookout for the Boogeyman.

That left Bunny with the fun job of searching the globe with North, and they were to be traveling by slay.

Everyone had their mission now.

Everyone knew what they were to look for.

However, would they ever know what the actual truth was?

* * *

**That is it for this chapter.**

**Until the next chapter will more of the words belonging to this story be released for you all to read over as many times as you wish.**


	7. Past Thoughts Lead To New Starts

**First off: Happy fourth of July to each and every one of you out there.**

**Now for the continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter in this fanfic so far will now start.**

* * *

Various shadowy beings known as Fearlings now watched with pure interest as the newest creature within their realm stood before their Nightmare King. The said creature was a child and the child just stood there with no fear whatsoever.

She was actually standing before the immortal man who had once been able to extinguish stars with one swipe of the hand.

That same man was the one who had been engulfed by not just thousands but millions of Fearlings at one time and withstood their power only to become that of darkness.

In all, he became Pitch Black.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

In spite of that, the child stop standing and sat down right before the feet of the king only to lean her head against his leg. True, she had slept for over a day now but that was not was irritated Pitch at the time being.

He frowned slightly, "Do you sense no fear around you, Soul? Do you not see these dream hungry Night Mares ready to feast on any sweet dream that you might have"?

Soul nodded, "Yeah I see them but I don't fear them". She turned her head up at him. "If you're trying to ask what I think you're going to ask; no I'm not afraid of you, Mr. Boogeyman".

"I'd thought I'd ask anyway," Pitch said. "I can only know a person's ultimate fear at first, but if I get to know them then I can know all that they have come to fear and all that they will come to fear in time. However, I'd thought I'd only ask if you were afraid of my Night Mares and I".

She turned her head. "You don't want me to be scared"?

Pitch felt like a quick beat would've run through his no longer beating heart at that moment. "N- Not at all; quite the opposite actually".

"How so"? Soul questioned him.

"If you were giving my Fearlings fear to feed off of then I would only want to know so that no one Fearling grows in power above the others". He explained to her. "I need all my Night Mares at full power all at once and if one was powerful than the rest I would have to feed that one to the rest of them to even out the strength".

Soul climbed onto the man's lap and continued to nod at the understanding of his words. "Would one ever become as strong as yourself"?

"No". He said bluntly. "Child, I am the Nightmare King therefore, I rule over all Fearlings".

"What if they were to sense your own fear"? She asked.

Pitch then had a flashback moment that showed his Night Mares beating, cutting and ultimately trying to kill him after his battle with the Guardians. They dragged him back into his lair and it was weeks before he was to stand or even limp away from his attackers.

In time he managed to gather enough power to ensure that they wouldn't try and kill him again. However, if he were to ever get beaten by the Guardians like he was before then his Fearlings would surely kill him.

The Nightmare King only pat the little girl on the head and then managed to end the conversation as for the time being.

After that the realm was once again silent except for the whispers of the night that bounced off each and every wall from time to time. Well that sweet silenced was soon enough ruined as a loud grumbling noise came from the gut of the child that sat in Pitch Black's lap.

Soul looked up at the king with puppy eyes. "Pitch, I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat around here"? She even rubbed her belly for emphasis on the matter.

"_Oh great…"_ He thought for a second before saying, "No, I don't have the need to eat as often as you humans do".

She frowned slightly, "Dude! You need to keep a fridge full of something around here, right"?

Pitch turned his head away from her for a second but then turned back to her and gave her an evil smirk. "How would you react (or scream) if I told you that I had gallons of actual human blood in my fridge"?

Now, of course, Pitch was kidding but he was just trying to scare her real quick to see if he could even give her a slight fright.

Soul smirked back with the same dark tone of seriousness. "Yummy".

Was she…?

Seriously?

No way…

Hell no…

"You had better not be true to your words when you say that". Pitch slightly scolded her.

Soul laughed for a few seconds before saying, "Y- You thought I was dead serious didn't you!? HA! Dude, I was just kidding around with you! Learn to take a joke, Mr. Nightmare"!

Pitch instantly had a scowl come onto his face. "Fine then, I'm sure you can go a couple of weeks without food or water while you sleep in my dungeon".

He didn't like dealing with Soul when she acted in such a five year old manner, so he thought a little threat would do her five year old self some good.

"Wait, what…"? She questioned right away.

"You heard me, child". Pitch stated.

Soul stopped laughed and became serious once again as for the fact she felt her stomach starting to eat itself. "Ok, ok sorry Mr. Boogeyman". She looked up at him. "Now can we go somewhere to get something to eat"?

Pitch then stood up with the child in his arms and simply whistled for one of his Night Mares to come towards the two of them. The stallion stood strong as Pitch placed the little girl on its back and made sure that she would be able to stay on the thing.

"Ah," Soul started to say hesitantly. "Aren't you coming with me"?

He shook his head, "This Night Mare will take you to wherever you wish to eat at and it will managed to steal some currency from some humans who have money. I've got to check up on a few things and I will meet you back here when you return on this same Fearling".

As Pitch went to walk into the shadows to vanish to where he needed to be, a single hand and then two arms wrapped around his chest and this apparently seemed to be what people called a hug.

"Alright," Soul said but might as well whispered at the tone she said it. "See you when we both get back, Pitch".

The Nightmare King did not return this embrace but simply stood there wondering when was the last time that someone actually gave him a hug. However, the embrace was soon broken and the Fearling flew off with Soul on its back.

Pitch then stumbled back into the shadows and seemed to fall through them as he tried to free his thought of the small and gentle gesture.

He stayed floating in the darkness for a while until he came to realize that he actually had to be elsewhere at the time being. Once a known fact about where he had to go, Pitch vanished in the shadows and came to materialize in the dark of the night.

* * *

In the dead of the night a lone streetlight flickered on and off as the Nightmare King strolled down the street and came across that of a building that should've been torn down ages ago. This building was Soul's orphanage and the only place that Pitch Black could manage to trace a location of some sorts that she happened to have lived in.

He walked pasted the front gate and got spider webs all on his robe.

That merely irritated him.

He accidently bumped into the playground's swing set and nearly had it fall over on him.

That just pissed him off.

It was only until Pitch saw the drunken caretakers, screaming children that were being beaten by each other, and a large crayon drawing on the wall that was of Soul being eaten by the demons of hell that really got him mad.

The Nightmare King simply stood there and observed the picture for a couple of minutes before taking his claw-like nails through the demons on the wall so that it just showed Soul. This would serve a purpose to show everyone here that this was the only sane person around them.

In spite of that, the chances of those human imbeciles actually seeing this and grasping the point of the crossed out demons were what?

Actually the same chances of someone in hell receiving ice water.

However, both chances really sucked.

Pitch shook his head at the humans these days and the ways that their so called brilliance has fallen from the little height that it actually stood at from one point in history. Now drugs, alcohol, and other various illegal things were many humans' whole world.

He then smirked, "At least there is the chance that I can save Soul from these idiots for good".

Yes now more than ever he had a plan, or at the very least some sort of idea.

Quickly, Pitch slipped into the records room which held every child's birth certificate. Soul didn't have one so the Nightmare King simply grabbed a blank one and filled in Soul for the first name blank.

He walked out of the room and out of the orphanage without a noise and then just started his way back to the shadows of the alley ways.

Yep nothing but everything was going just as he planned it. Now all he need was to fill in Soul's middle name and last name. Not too hard since she's allowed to choose what names she wants, and at least it's better than being called the devil.

Yeah everything was fine, but that was until it began to snow of the area.

Pitch grabbed a snowflake out of thin air and studied it right away. "Snow…? In the middle of a heat wave for this city"? He questioned but already knew the answer too well.

Without even taking time to look, Pitch bolted for the shadows right then and there. He wasn't about to stay for what and who was about to come. Hell, the Nightmare King even made it into the shadows before golden strings floated down from above as the snow kept coming.

Two figures then appeared before the alley way that he now hid in.

They were only one foot away from each other, and yet Pitch wanted to leave before they took any sort of notice that he was there.

Before the Sandman and Jack Frost both saw him.

* * *

**Once again it leaves off with a torturous cliffhanger that can only vanish from the next chapter being posted up.**

**In due time of course.**

**Still, you all may now read over this chapter as many times as you wish to do so and even give it a review if you deem it worthy to receive such a gift.**

**Until next time.**


	8. Brawls And Broken Dreams

**The continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter of this here story so far…**

* * *

Shadows leaned in from the alley ways and the street corners to cover the Night Mare that silently trotted along the sidewalk of the town it currently was in. It had only recently stolen cash from a mortal man and had allowed its rider to use the said cash for a meal that she required.

However, no one seemed to even notice the black, sandy stallion standing guard beside the tiny figure which it was to watch over.

It was not until normal children were in the same are that someone actually saw the beast when it was standing in the middle of a small restaurant with its rider. Children recalled those yellow eyes staring right at them in their worst of dreams and now they saw the same being while they were awake.

When the kids began to cry their eyes out and scream at the sight of a Night Mare, both the sandy horse and its tiny companion vanished from the restaurant the very next second.

At the time being, the Night Mare galloped along a pathway through the thick woods as the child on the back of the it was, yet again, studying the necklace that the Nightmare King had given to her.

The purple color shimmered in the moonlight when Soul held it out of the shadows only to come back and embrace the shadows with its elegant design. Even in darkness it still proved to be that of otherworldly beauty that seemed to mesmerize anyone who looked upon it.

Without a single doubt in her mind, Soul would truly and forever know this necklace to be the best gift she will ever be given.

"Hey Onyx," She called to the Night Mare by the name she had been calling it for the past hour or so. "Are we almost back to wherever Pitch's little realm is"?

The black beast only looked back at her with deep yellow eyes as if to transmit its thoughts to her, but other than that it didn't talk to her.

Soul simply nodded her head. "Yeah, yeah I know Pitch doesn't want anyone to find his secret hideout, which that much I can tell. He does seem like the solitary type even with all of you Fearlings hanging about in each dark corner of the room. Am I right"?

This time the horse gave something of a nod and then looked back to see where it was going.

"Alright," Soul said with a little smirk. "So who is Mr. Boogeyman wishing to keep out of his lair"?

The beast went to give some sort of nod or shaking of the head to answer the child's question, but the Night Mare was interrupted by that of a person who was not supposed to be there.

"Ve are who he vishes to keep out"! A deep, booming voice rang out from above.

A slight pang of panic went through both Soul and Onyx as they saw a huge slay with reindeer flying right above them. Both beings knew who this person was but by different names, North and Santa, but both names meant the same Guardian and the same trouble for the Fearling.

Soul was simply shocked to actually see Santa in the real, living flesh and not one of those millions of fake rip-offs at the malls around the world.

With all of that said and done, Onyx still reacted to this situation in a split second. The Night Mare bolted right for the nearest patch of shadows to faze the rest of the way back to the realm and then would report North's sighting to its master.

Well that was the plan of the Fearling.

The sudden idea was ruined when a spotlight from the slay of the Guardian of Wonder rid the whole area around both the Night Mare and the child of shadows. The plan proved to be even more of a failure when the Christmas figure jumped down onto the ground with the blades of his sword ready to slice into any bad dream.

"I vas supposed to meet up with Sandy and Jack to see if they found you," North then held out a sword to the Fearling. "But finding the child myself and taking a Night Mare down is ok in my book".

The black beast gave a sudden growl of some sorts towards the rough Guardian and flared its eyes in rage. It was not about to let itself be beaten by North without giving him some kind of fight and it was not about to let the child that Pitch protected from nightmares be taken away.

After setting the child down on the forest floor, the Fearling launched itself at the Guardian only to be thrown into the air by the back of the sword's blades.

It then dodged a couple of swings thrown at it before trying to return an attack, but was pinned to the ground by the two swords being driven through its center and into that of a nearby tree.

North, seeing that the horse wouldn't be able to get out any time soon, went over towards the little child in means to pick her up and take her somewhere safe. "The Fearling vill hurt you no longer, little one". He stated.

Soul back up against the trunk of a barren tree and began to tremble with fear. "I want to go home"! She cried out as she wished that the Nightmare King would come and save her.

"Yes, yes that is vhy I am here," North tried to explain to her. "To take you home to the people vho are missing you. Come, ve take you back to the North Pole so that ve can take you back to vhere you belong".

"_Oh no…" _Soul thought as her heart began to race with even more fear coursing through her veins. _"N- Not the orphanage! No! Anywhere but there! Why does this have to happen to me!? Why do I have to feel… to feel this… this…"_

_**Touch of fear?**_

She nodded for each word spoken to her.

_**Feed your fear, dearest Soul.**_

"_H- How"!? _She thought as she felt she was on the verge of tears. _"I'm just a child so what can I do"!?_

_**Give into your fear and hold onto the feelings it brings.**_

Taking a deep breath, she tried to think of being alone and felt the agony that came with the very idea.

_**Good, now make your enemies feel that pain that you feel and make them regret even living.**_

Then just like what had happened at the mall to Sandy, North found himself being thrown into the air by a blast of black sand. The man fell against several tree limbs before hitting the ground head first. After hitting the ground so hard the Guardian of Wonder then was that of unconscious.

Soul hadn't the slightest idea what she had actually done but apparently it had something to do with the deepest of nightmares and ultimate fear.

However, she didn't just stand there and try and figure out what she did. Soul took out the swords that held the Night Mare against the tree and tried to find any signs of wounds that should've been there.

"You don't bleed"? She asked the horse as she ran her fingers over the spots that the blades had punctured.

It simply shook its head and picked the child up and placed her onto its back before galloping back into the shadows. The Fearling saw what this child had done and had no idea how this tiny child, this human, was able to gather enough strength, both mentally and physically, in order to use nightmare sand.

At the time being, all the Night Mare wanted was to return to the realm of its master and report on all that had just occurred.

* * *

**Just before North's battle with the Fearling…**

Jack Frost and the Sandman had just checked inside of the orphanage that Pitch Black had just recently been inside of. They too were wishing to find out anything they could on Soul and if she was possibly back here.

Well she wasn't there and Pitch was going to damn well ensure that that little girl never sees this forsaken place again. Then… then what?

He shook his head while standing in an alley way of shadows and tried to remind himself of his plan. Yes she would never return here but he would have to find her a suitable home before he could leave her.

Any other possible thoughts that could've come to Pitch were then stopped as both Guardians stepped out of the orphanage with a sheet of paper in Sanderson's hands.

"How in the hell"? Pitch whispered to himself. "There was no record of her"!

Jack Frost walked on top of the fence line that outlined the property as Sandy floated beside of him. "I didn't think you knew how to work a computer, Sandy". He grinned. "Or even a print for that matter, but it sure made things a lot quicker and easier though".

Oh god damn brilliant.

The one damn place that shadows couldn't help Pitch at all.

The worst thing that man could ever bring into the world and could also never know how to work.

The internet.

"Blast it," Pitch silently kicked the stone wall of the alley way in anger. "Damn human machines always get the best of everyone, including myself"!

Sandy handed the paper over to Jack and the winter spirit read aloud, "Name: Unknown. Birth place: Unknown. Family: Dead". He looked to the golden figure in sadness. "No wonder Pitch kidnapped this girl, Sandy. She must always be upset about everything that's happened in her life, poor little thing".

Pitch nodded at the sadness that has built up within Soul over time but- Wait a second! Kidnapped!? Who!? Soul!?

Now it all made sense to him.

The Nightmare King accidently returned home with a little girl gently cradled up in his arms.

A Guardian found out about it.

That Guardian told the rest of them about it.

Apparently he was holding the sweet child hostage!

"What the hell is wrong with these imbeciles"?! Pitch hissed out like a cobra. "Everything that I do has to be evil?! I ought to strangle the living hell out of those mindless," He gripped his hands into fists. "Insignificant," He then took a whip of nightmare sand and launched a garbage can over into the next state. "GUARDIANS"! Pitch roared with nothing but pure rage.

Slightly panting from his rant, Pitch then took notice of the fact that he had instantly given himself away to his enemy. He wanted to smack himself in the head if it weren't for the golden sand that had just wrapped its way around his entire body like a viper.

"Pitch what are you doing here"!? Jack barked out at him. "You better have a pretty good reason"!

He instantly scowled, "I'm just giving these children nightmares, Jack. It's what I do every night all night for who knows how in the hell long I've been on this damn planet"! The Nightmare King snapped back.

Sandy tightened the grip on his golden sand and sent a glare at the dark figure. Symbol translation: _"Stop lying to us and give us back the little girl you took! She needs to return here where she belongs"!_

Pitch frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry Sanderson. Did you not happen to see the very large picture of Soul being devoured by the demons of hell? It was drawn by those very same children that lie in that very same orphanage right over there. Yep, I'm damn well certain that Soul would love to return to such a living hell, don't you"? He questioned them sarcastically.

Sandy just continued to glare at the Nightmare King whereas Jack took a step closer to him. "Who's Soul"? The winter spirit asked him.

"Soul is the name that she gave herself". He stated firmly. "I dare say that no one cared even the slightest bit as to give that tiny child a name so she was forced to name herself".

"How do we know you're not lying"? Jack questioned him.

"Ask your believers around here, Frost". Pitch told him. "She only named herself that as for the fact that that was the nicest thing these humans ever called her for her entire life. Even then I bet they called her "Soul Snatcher" or perhaps "Satanic Soul" but I doubt that anyone ever cared".

"People have to care about someone"! Jack retorted.

"But humans don't have to, Jack". Pitch said darkly. "The way she acts around fear, I'd say Soul is truly something else other than human". He smirked.

The Guardian of Fun shook his head and turned away from the Nightmare King. "Come on Sandy let's take him back to the North Pole before he manages to get away".

"Escape," Pitch smirked like the devil himself. "My thoughts exactly".

The dark figure placed a hand on the golden rope around him and turned over half of it into nightmare sand before he was able to break free and dive into the shadows of the alley way. All Pitch could hear as he bolted through the shadows was Jack Frost cursing and the sound of Sanderson's whips striking the darkness of the alley.

Their brief meeting was too close to being a brawl and that was just how he wanted to leave it at.

Now more than ever, Pitch wished to return back to his realm.

Possibly to return to Soul as well.

* * *

**Well chapter eight is now completed and I suspect that chapter nine will be posted up soon enough.**

**So until then you may read over this as many times as you like and even give it a comment if you deem it worthy to receive a review.**

**Until next time.**


	9. The Turning Of Tides

**Ok so this chapter was supposed to be the next chapter but I decided to post it up before the next one. **

**Either way no for the continuation from the last chapter of this here story into the newest chapter to be added so far…**

* * *

Pitch black shadows parted at the Nightmare King's crossing as he quickly raced throughout endless amounts of darkness in order to return to his own Realm of Darkness. However, as much as he wanted to return back to his lair, Pitch severely desired to strangle the living daylights out of each and every Guardian.

"Kidnapped a child have I"!? He deeply growled to himself. "Only if the damn perfect Guardians say so"! Pitch sarcastically hissed out. "If I ever get the chance to prove those imbeciles wrong about all of this, I would just love to see the looks on their faces"!

More or less throwing the shadows out of his way, Pitch Black found his way into the globe room of his lair where his eyes instantly took notice of all the lights. Now more than ever he wanted to throw the accursed things out of a window but he had other things that were far more important that needed tending to at the time being.

With the snap of his fingers, the Nightmare King summoned to him the Fearling that had assisted Soul earlier. Naturally the Night Mare silently appeared in front of its master but without the child.

"Where is she"? He questioned the beast.

The black stallion reeled its head back to point towards the corner of the room. Walking closer and closer towards the edge of the room, Pitch took notice of the tiny, five year old child trembling in fear with tears frantically pouring from her eyes.

Almost at once he had forgotten what he was going to say and simply shook his head before taking one last step before he was standing over her height of one foot eleven with his height that was almost seven foot tall.

"What are you doing in the corner"? He questioned her.

A tiny hand then pointed right at the Night Mares standing around the globe and their eyes were staring right back at the little girl.

Pitch nodded his head, "I see…" He then kneeled down beside Soul and placed a hand on her head. "There would happen to be a reason why you're giving off so much fear, right"?

"Santa tried to take me back to the orphanage," She faintly cried. "Only after he stabbed the Night Mare into a nearby tree right before my very eyes! I- I was ultimately frightened to be taken back there! Pitch, I don't want to go back to living alone"!

"North tried to take you away"!? The Nightmare King growled in frustration. "The Guardian of Wonder did not take notice of how cheerful you looked away from that forsaken orphanage, or even how the Fearling was acting in a well behaved manner towards you"!?

"He saw," Soul stated. "Although, he did not see". She shook her head sadly.

Thankfully, Pitch managed to calm himself down enough so that he could actually talk and not rant. "Tell me, how did you manage to escape North and return on the same Night Mare that was watching over you"? He asked.

_**Tell him about using the sand, Soul.**_

The little girl's silvery eyes flashed within the darkness and she wiped the tears from her eyes before speaking. "I… I gathered my fear…" She said hesitantly. "Then nightmare sand just blew Santa away… and knocked him out… like a light. A voice told me to gather my fear and do this".

"A voice," Pitch instantly questioned. "From where exactly? Soul, did the moon speak to you"? He seemed to ask in a slight panic.

"The moon"? Soul titled her head at such a question.

_**Ignore the moon part and just tell him.**_

Soul nodded at the voice and looked back to Pitch. "The voice was inside me, Mr. Boogeyman".

A few seconds of silence later.

"Excuse me," Pitch said. "Did you just say a voice inside of you told you to conjure up nightmare sand and explain to you how to use such a power"? He didn't sound mad but just confused to the ends of the earth right now.

"It didn't really tell me anything but to gather up all of my fear and use it against Santa, sir". She explained to him. "The rest just kind of happened on its own".

Pitch frowned and stood up to his full height. "That is impossible, child. Some children can reform my Night Mares just like some children can taint the Sandman's dreams into Night Mares, but no one can create nightmare sand but the Nightmare King and that is I".

"So then the Fearling that was stuck in the tree was the voice and helped me knock Santa out"? Soul asked based on what Pitch had told her.

"Exactly," He then smirked. "Now you're tired," Soul went to deny exhaustion but was cut off by Pitch. "I'm very busy with these Night Mares and I have a lot of nightmares to give to children before sunrise, so before you say anything let me show you back to your room since I don't want you getting lost in my realm".

"But what about Santa"? Soul questioned.

"What about that old fool"? Pitch sighed in irritation.

"What if he tries to kidnap me in my sleep"? She asked even though it seemed like a silly question.

The corners of the Nightmare King's mouth twitched upward and he tried to conceal a chuckle as he tried to think of North trying to steal children away in their sleep, but it couldn't possibly ever happen. Luckily it only took a split second for him to recover from his near laughing fit and he gathered up Soul in his arms before taking her back to her room.

After tucking the child in for bed, Pitch silently faded into the shadows and vanished into somewhere in his lair. Of course, that just left the tiny child alone in the room but she knew that he would be close be if he was needed.

However, Soul wasn't any bit tired than she was when she fought North. She tossed and turned in her bed until an hour passed and she was almost asleep.

"Hm," She grumbled. "I still can't come to believe that that Night Mare was the voice telling me what to do. It really just didn't seem like-"

_**It was not the Night Mare, Soul.**_

Instantly startled by the sudden, chilling voice, Soul froze from where she laid at the time being. "W- where… are you"?

_**The instructions, the movements, and hell even the glares were all done by you.**_

"Answer me"! Soul demanded.

_**I'm inside of you; always have been always will be.**_

She frowned and shook her head at such a statement. This was insane and yet it was still happening and it was still talking with her. "Leave me alone"! She growled.

_**Sorry I can't do that.**_

"Why not"?! She hissed out. "Seriously what are you that you can't leave me be"!?

_**I can't ever leave you, Soul, as for the fact that I am you.**_

"That's impossible," She stated. "Pitch told me that only the Nightmare King can create nightmare sand"!

_**Did he tell you that?**_

"Yes," Soul said. "Yes he did not but over an hour ago".

_**Oh how sweet, but he forgot the most important fact about his powers.**_

Soul felt her curiosity peek ever so slightly. "What fact did he not tell me"?

_**Night Mares are made of sand and they create a small amount of nightmare sand around them.**_

"I already found that out"! Soul barked.

_**Hold your horses for a second and listen to me. Think about what I am trying to tell you!**_

Soul thought about it but her thoughts went back to all the times she was called the devil and treated like him.

_**Remember why that treatment happened to you?**_

Images of sparks flying throughout the sky and flames consuming a house then filled the child's mind.

_**You don't fully recall what we did, do you?**_

"All I remember is watching and then running". Soul then felt a tear escape her eye.

_**No.**_

_**That day we gave those two parents a scare. The fire started when a car slipped off the road beside our old home and crashed into the front of the household. The car then blew up and sparks began to fly after that. **_

_**It was that day that changed everything with the help of t**__**hree certain people, and now our life leads up to this moment. Back to where we were supposed to be that day and to be what we were meant to be. **_

_**It was after all sand that turned you into what we are.**_

"What am I that I can control fear"!? Soul hissed at the voice. "What the hell am I changed into!? Only Pitch Black, King of the Nightmares, can do such a thing along with his Fearlings"!

_**Exactly.**_

Soul felt a wave of emotions pass through her before she came to know where the voice was getting at. She looked down at the necklace that she still wore and saw two yellow eyes staring at her from the necklace that now seemed like some sort of mirror. The reflection on the crucifix-like ornament was something of a black blob that had those eyes still glue to Soul's silvery ones.

"I- I'm a…" Soul gasped and fell back onto her bed.

An eerie voice then rang out through the room. It was faint but to anyone that heard it, it was clear as could be.

_**We are one with fear…**_

* * *

**Note the evil cliffhanger you see above this sentence marks the ending and completion of this here chapter. **

**However, the next chapter will arrive in due time but it won't be until after the next chapter that this cliffhanger is completed and also answered. So good luck with the whole guessing thing.**

**Until next the chapter, my readers.**


	10. The Truth Of The Night

**First off, I'd like to apologize to anyone who didn't come to comprehend the second half or more of the last chapter. It really was supposed to lead into this chapter like right after it ended, but now the newest chapter is here.**

**Also, if you haven't read any of the books you may not understand the beginning. It's kind of stating Pitch's past and his history about past vengeance he tried to take.**

**So it's the continuation from the last chapter of this here story from where it is supposed to pick up from.**

* * *

_His mind was now twisted with thoughts of vengeance… _

_There was no turning back to the past life he once had..._

_No returning to the people he loved with all his heart…_

_His heart stopped beating once the shadows parted. His ocean blue eyes turned into that of an eclipse while his skin turned into an ashy grey._

_Kozmotis Pitchiner was dead._

_Pitch Black was born._

_From that point on he, the Nightmare King, set out to destroy the Lunanoffs and the Golden Age by turning all good, sweet dreams into complete and total nightmares. _

_He plundered planets, extinguished stars and scuttled airships, replacing every innocent dream with a truthful nightmare. _

_He hungered for children's sweetest of dreams the most and would not stop to rest until every child had experienced the fear of nightmares. Sometimes even killing the pure children of heart and leaving the survivors (if any at all) feeling misery and true despair. For some of those children, they were ultimately changed for all eternity._

_Even after ravaging every outpost he could, Pitch Black went after the Constellation Lunanoff, determined to turn their young son, who had never had a nightmare in his life, into his Prince of Nightmares._

_However, in the end Pitch Black was defeated and sent to earth. There he vowed to return to his power by making all of earth's children come to fear him and believe in nothing but fear itself._

* * *

The Nightmare King sat straight up on his bed as sweat began to trickle down his grey face. His pure black hair was now sticking up in every direction it could. He had been grasping his pillow so hard that his hands were now cramped as a result.

"A- accursed…" Pitch gasped. "Nightmares..."

It only took a few minutes for his breathing to even out but even then he felt slight paranoia. Pitch examined his surroundings and even though he was all alone in his own room, he felt like someone or something was watching him. This was proven correct when a Night Mare approached him.

"What is it"? Pitch questioned somewhat sleepily.

The horse let out a faint whinny and stomped its feet on the floor.

"What do you mean something's wrong"? He questioned the beast. "If it is just another fight that has broken loose amongst the rest of you then I am fairly certain that you can handle such an insignificant matter".

The Night Mare just stood there looking at its king with a blank expression and refused to move.

Pitch tried not to glare at it. "If it is that important then I will be out to handle it in a few minutes. Now leave me be". He waved his hand at the creature and it vanished through the wall.

Of course, Pitch couldn't just stay there if something really needed his attention so he threw back his obsidian covers and threw on one of his multiple robes. He was just about to leave the room when a tiny piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. Right as he picked it up he recalled what he had been doing before he had fallen asleep.

"Soul's birth certificate," Pitch sighed deeply before placing the paper in his pocket. Now he recalled what he was trying to get to before sleep overwhelmed him.

Once Pitch had this piece of paper filled out and found a family that wished for a child to come into their lives, this nightmare would just be a faint memory.

In spite of what he called all that has occurred a nightmare, Pitch would never admit from deep within his non-beating heart that he has enjoyed the company of this tiny child and enjoyed having company in general. True it might've been the fact that she was close to the age his own daughter was before Pitch Black existed, but his daughter was long dead and probably wouldn't see any traces of Kozmotis Pitchiner in the Nightmare King.

He shook his head at old thoughts and old memories; they were all just past history now and nothing could be done to change what has happened. His focus was the present time at the moment and that was dealing with Soul and keeping the Guardians from taking her away.

Although, first a slight problem having to do with some Night Mare had to be dealt with.

Walking out of his room and through the darkness, Pitch found himself in front of Soul's bedroom with hordes of Night Mares standing and neighing outside the room wanting to investigate what was inside.

"I told you miserable beasts to stay away from her". He scolded them. "Why aren't any of you out there spreading fear and just standing here? Get away from Soul and get back to turning dreams into nightmares". He waved his hands at the lot of them and they cleared out almost instantly.

"Next time I'm going with Hell Hounds," Pitch mumbled as he opened the door to Soul's room.

Silence rang throughout the room as he entered; it was only when he approached the bed in the center of the room that a small moan was heard. The covers of the bed might have covered the child but Pitch could see her outline by the way that she was gripping the blankets.

"Soul," He questioned. "Is everything alright"? There was no question that he could feel the fear emanating from her but this kind of fear was one that he hadn't felt in literal ages.

"P- Pitch"? Soul whispered and poked her head out from the covers. "I… I remembered what happened the day that I lost… my old life".

His eyes slightly widened at such news about the worst, horrid past memory for this child. Although, his curiosity was peeked. "Is this something that you would wish to tell me"? He asked her.

She gave a little nod and Pitch then sat on the edge of the bed. Soul crawled towards the Nightmare King and sat as close as she could to him.

"M- My parents left me alone in the backyard of our house to go inside for a second… to make lunch". She explained hesitantly. "I was scared without t- them but I knew they would come back. Pitch, I thought w- wrong. A car slid off the icy road and ran right into the front of the house, and there it suddenly exploded. The fire consumed everything and my parents but after that everything went dark".

Soul looked down at her necklace for a second and saw the black figure staring right into her eyes. She took off the necklace and set it down upon the bed. "I'd hate to admit that I caused everything that occurred to happen". She whimpered slightly.

Pitch scoffed, "Do not let North, the Sandman, or anyone else try and get that ridiculous idea into your head, Soul. You causing such an incident to happen would never happen-"

"It happened because of fear"! Soul suddenly interrupted him. "I caused it to happen with fear"!

"I already told you that is impossible for someone like yourself to do such a thing". The Nightmare King stated once again.

"No," Soul said. "I knew that the driver was feeling uneasy about driving home on such an icy road and was afraid of running off the road. My parents were scared about leaving me outside but they assumed that they would come right back out in a few minutes, but their assumption was proved wrong. One snap of my fingers and I caused everything to happen even though I didn't know what I caused at the time".

"Soul stop with all of this nonsense," Pitch warned her. "It is not good for you to think that you actually could have caused such…" His voice fell silent and his eyes instantly widened as Soul's hand turned into nightmare sand and then turned back into flesh.

She kept staring right at the darkness on the wall ahead of her but sighed at Pitch's voice falling silent. "That day I was infected with something that made me something else, but I'm not sure how or why. All I know is that my powers were only awakened when I met you and they now work whenever I allow fear to consume my emotions".

Soul turned back to face the Nightmare King. "Please tell me whatever you know about... about my… condition, Mr. Boogeyman".

A few moments passed silently as Pitch tried to decide to tell her or not to tell her. For one thing, Pitch couldn't fully grasp that he still able to perform this old power that had been lost to him ever since his defeat at the hands of Nightlight.

However, when had he done this to her? Surely he would remember doing something like this. Maybe it was one of his minions' doing. The exact memory of this transformation would have to wait until later but something was definitely wrong with the change that was occurring within her.

With that in mind, would he still tell her?

Unfortunately for him the answer was a yes.

Pitch Black looked into her silvery eyes before looking away from them as if they felt somewhat ashamed. "Soul… you are a Fearling or at least half of a Fearling and half mortal at the time being. You are what you are because of my power".

Soul's eyes lit up. "I'm going to turn into a horse, Pitch"!? She panicked.

"No- Wait, what"? Pitch questioned her.

"Ah," She shook her head. "Never mind. You were saying something about your ability".

Pitch nodded, "Soul, I mean to say that my power must have tainted your very being at a time before you lost your old life and has only began to change you from the moment that you came to me. I used to turn all children into Fearlings all the time after all their dreams had been extinguished and then turned into nightmares. When I came here I thought that that ability was lost, but now I see that I have either indirectly cause this or directly cause this to happen to you".

"I thought you said that you kept track of your minions' power". Soul brought up. "You didn't sense me"?

"No," He stated. "Your change only started when we met one another. However, I still did not sense your power since I have been kept focused on keeping the Guardians away from you…" Pitch lowered his head and raised a hand to his forehead like he had a headache. "Oh damn it all".

"What is it"? Soul asked. "And who are these Guardians you keep talking about"?

The Nightmare King had to think up a quick way to sum up the Guardians without cursing every other word. It might've taken a couple of minutes but he eventually thought of a way to explain it all.

"North, or Santa as you call him, the Sandman, the Tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost are all Guardians of the world's children". He explained. "They give children wonder, dreams, light, hope, and fun and manage to protect them from the truthfulness of fear in order to insure that they grow up innocently without knowing danger of the world around them".

"Sounds like they're kind of lying to us, but in a nice way at least". Soul said.

Pitch nodded, "Yes it does seem that way does it not? Either way, they protect the kids from me, mainly, and if something major happens like a certain Nightmare King trying to take the world back to an age of fear, they take action and try to stop him".

"So they're after me just as for the fact that you are involved"? She asked.

"Yes," He replied to her question.

Soul shook her head and frowned, "That's stupid, but have you tried explaining the truth to them…" Her voice fell silent as she caught the Boogeyman's glare.

"They want to keep fear out of children's lives but when they do that they then wish to keep the truth away from them as well"! Pitch now seemingly ranted. "They will never understand anything unless it is too late or they have already stopped it from happening! They… They just… Grr, forget it"!

Then he stood up from the bed and walked towards the door of the room. Soul got up and followed right behind him with no signs of letting him vanish this time.

"Listen you told me that you would finish explaining things," She told him as the shadows began to surround him. "So please finish up, Pitch".

He stopped from where he stood in the darkness and turned back towards her. "I… I guess forget it is what I meant". He sighed.

"I don't understand," Soul stated. "What do you mean by that"?

Pitch looked straight at her and told her, "They do not have a reason to return you to your home. Your home and your place in life is now and forever with me, Soul Black". The Nightmare King said as he finally filled in the blank for her last name. "You are now a part of my life like I am apart of your own life".

A Night Mare then came up from behind the little girl and gently placed her necklace around her neck without a sound or word. She turned around just in time to see that it had already vanished but she then turned right back around to see a hand extended towards her.

"Come with me," Pitch Black smirked slightly. "If you want to learn about what you are and what you are capable of achieving in life".

It did not take but a second, but silently a little hand was placed into the Nightmare King's grey hand. After that the shadows surrounded both of them and everything went pitch black.

* * *

**And so the explanations are completed… for these two anyway. The Guardians still have yet to find out any of this information but all will be revealed in due time.**

**So until the next chapter my readers.**


	11. Opening Minds

**The continuation of chapters throughout this entire story will now continue with chapter eleven starting now.**

* * *

Since the Nightmare King had managed to escape capture at the hands of the Sandman and Jack Frost, the Guardians had been forced to rendezvous to the closest and safest place in the shortest amount of time as possible.

Really it was just meeting up at Jack's lake but they thought it would be better to call it something more Guardian like.

Jack and Sandy ultimately ended up sitting around twiddling their thumbs until North managed to show up, but they were caught by surprise by what they saw when he did. The spirit of wonder had an icepack to his head with the Tooth fairy helping him out of his sleigh since he apparently was still double or more of everything around him.

"North," Frost called out to the older immortal. "What happened to you"!?

A golden version of a Night Mare and Pitch Black appeared over the Sandman's head with a question mark to be the last symbol that popped up.

"Oh, Sandy… please no talking right now". He slightly groaned and moved the icepack to the other side of his head. "I… I already have a headache bigger than… twice the size of Yeti. Vait a second… vhere is Bunny"? Taking a seat on the forest floor, North soon recalled the information. "Oh yes! He was about to throw up on sleigh so I let him off to search on his own… but I told him to meet up vhen the rest of us did".

"Something urgent came up at his place and he said he had to go check it out". Jack explained. "He was here before Sandy and I but he left an hour before you guys showed up-"

Golden sand was being thrashed about throughout the air in order to get the rest of the Guardian's attention, and for once Sanderson actually managed to get their attention through the use of his powers. Once all eyes were on him, he held out a tiny ghost doll.

"Oh right," Jack muttered. "The little girl…" He then turned to Tooth and North. "Sandy and I managed to find out that there is absolutely no information about this girl whatsoever, but that was only the human's information. Turns out Pitch still has the child and the kid has named herself Soul, and that's all we got from Pitch before he escaped".

"Oh great…" North moaned still suffering from his aching head. "It is now a Pitch hunt. Vhat a pain it vill be to try and find out his new lair's location".

"Speaking of pain," Frost brought up. "Why do you have a headache? Fall of your sleigh"?

Tooth sighed, "A Fearling attacked him but it must have been extremely powerful compared to the usual Night Mares we are used to facing off against".

"No, no," North stated. "It vas no Night Mare! It vas little girl, but the little girl ve are trying to find and return to her family"!

Jack shook his head and jumped onto a nearby tree's branch. "Hey guys, I'm serious when I say that I am starting to wonder about everything that is going on with this rescue. There's no info on Soul that the humans really know about and now the girl has used nightmare sand against North".

"Wait," Tooth began. "Don't you remember Jamie and his friends helping us turn the Night Mares back into dreams, Jack? Maybe it is something like that here".

"I am no horse to be changing"! North bellowed aside from the fact that his own voice increased his pain.

"We know that, but what I'm saying is that there might be a tiny chance that that little girl happens to belong to Pitch". Jack told them his idea. "She fought back against us so she must side with the Boogeyman, or maybe it is something even deeper than that".

The others did not have the same idea.

"Have you also taken blow to the head"!?

"Jack, where did that come from"!?

Symbols.

He sighed, "It… it was just an idea, guys. No need to flip out on me now". He then turned back to face them. "Although, I still feel like something is wrong in the world right now… don't know what but it is something for sure".

Tooth flew to him and laid a hand on his frosty shoulder. "What is wrong is that a scared child is out there in the clutches of the Nightmare King, but with our help she'll be back home where it's safe and sound".

North managed to somehow get himself to his feet and pulled out his swords. "Then come ve take the sleigh to find them"!

He then nearly staggered onto the icy lake but Sandy grabbed him by collar of his coat and led him to his sleigh. Tooth and Jack jumped in after North was set down in the back.

"I'll drive"! Jack called out.

Sandy shook his head and then took the reins after a golden picture above his head showed Jack trying to drive an actual car but ended up crashing it.

"Hey," He barked. "That was one time, Sandy, and I'm definitely old enough to drive a car"!

Tooth didn't ask questions but ended up taking the reins so that the fight would end. The reindeer flew through the night sky with ease as the moon shined down upon the sleigh.

When the Guardians had left the general area, the moon beams turned to the forest surrounding Jack's lake and looked through the woods until it stopped at a new hole that was dug up in the ground. Well that was until the very hole, itself, vanished in a split second.

The Man in the Moon wasn't a fool, he knew before it vanished that that mysterious entrance had two piercing eyes that had caught sight of the beams of light shining down upon him.

However, the eyes were new to him. They weren't the eclipse ones he was used to seeing.

No…

These eyes were silver.

* * *

**This was a shortened chapter only as for the fact that I'm better at writing longer and way more intriguing dialogue when Pitch Black is around. **

**Still, I think I have done pretty well with the Guardians anyway.**

**Either way the next chapter will be up soon enough so no need to fret, and with that said and done I bid you all a short farewell.**


	12. Deep, Silent Kinship

**This is now said for the eleventh time for the twelfth chapter of this story, and so this is the continuation from the last chapter of this fanfic into the newest chapter to be added to it so far.**

* * *

**One Month Later…**

Spiraling down from the clouds above, a calm string of dream sand found its way inside of a child's bedroom and above the child's head. The dream was about the kid receiving a puppy for his birthday present and his birthday was tomorrow.

This was truly a perfect little dream.

This was also a perfectly nauseating sight for a certain Nightmare King to watch while he crept out from underneath the child's bed.

As the golden puppy ran around the kid, Pitch Black instantly tainted the golden sand and made it into a delicious nightmare.

Once that happened, the only thing that the image showed was the poor kid running for his life as a Hell Hound began to chase him down to the very mental depths of his mind.

Harsh?

No…

Not really…

Not for Pitch anyway.

The spirit of fear was after all exhausted from all the bedrooms he had to crawl into tonight and at this point he didn't show any kind of mercy with his nightmares. True, he hadn't meant to make too many personal visits from the Boogeyman to be given but to couple of children.

Well the Sandman found a herd of Pitch's Night Mares and turned them all back into his sweet dreams. That made it so that the Nightmare King, himself, had to give a couple hundred nightmares tonight just to make up for the difference. Truth be told, Pitch made it his job to spread fear and nightmares but sometimes there was a reason that the Night Mares did this more than him.

Once finished with this one nightmare, he managed to find his way through the shadows and back to his little Realm of Darkness, or really his throne room within his lair to be exact.

A grey hand was raised to his forehead as he tried to ease his thoughts about how long this month has been so far.

The Guardians were still continuing to search for Soul and turning any Night Mares, he had underneath his control back into children's dreams. Hell, Tooth even had her mini fairies pursuing the world every second they weren't taking children's teeth and giving them money in exchange.

Aside from all of that, the few weeks had been almost relaxing, and nowadays that was a feeling that Pitch rarely ever felt.

Ever since both Pitch and Soul learned of what she actually was, their relationship had become more of that along the lines of a kinship.

The Nightmare King teaching her about her powers that she had and how to control them while she listened to each word he said while she sat on his lap. Soul trying to help him learn how to cook for a five year old since it had been so long since he had cooked for anyone but himself.

Many other experiences and laughs were shared amongst the two of them, but Pitch made sure not to forget what Soul was.

In spite of that, he truly enjoyed talking to someone, laugh with them and even listening to what another living being had to say. Night Mares were not the world's best conversationalists and have proved not to remain so loyal in the past.

However, at the time being, Pitch's body and mind were practically pleading with him to head right for his bedroom and put this night behind him by drowning his slumber with nightmares, but something caught his attention. One step into the room and his eyes looked to the throne, itself, and he took notice of the tiny figure that had exhausted herself trying to stay awake for the return of the Nightmare King.

Dressed in a black nightdress, Soul held her cravat, necklace in both hands as she mumbled incoherent words while she slept. She didn't even squirm when Pitch placed a cold hand on top of her head.

He smirked slightly, "You should have known better to stay up, little Fearling". He ran his fingers through her brown and red hair. "Let us get you to bed now".

His smirk continued to remain on his face as he walked through his endless lair and somehow managed to find the same room that Soul had been sleeping in. Quickly and quietly, Pitch laid her down in her bed and covered her up before slipping away into the shadows.

When the darkness faded away it showed that he was now in his own bedroom that mainly consisted of a small wardrobe for his different robes and a king sized bed for none other than the Nightmare King himself.

Sliding his way into his bed of umbra, Pitch instantly succumbed to sleep which when he did, his Night Mares left him to have a dreamless slumber which one would awaken feeling only rested.

* * *

"Pitch…"? A young female voice whispered to him.

"_No," _He thought now half asleep and still very much tired. _"I'm dead right now, child. This is not happening to me. Go away now and shut the door as you leave"._

"Pitch," She now called to him in a normal conversational tone.

"_Go back to bed," _He hoped that she would do as he mentally asked of her. _"Please go back to bed, Soul"._

She now tugged at his cold, grey hand that hung over the edge of the bed. "Pitch"? The little girl now began to cry out.

"_Damn…" _The Nightmare King cursed before opening his eyes and turned his head around to see two little hands that barely reached his hand that was dangling off the bed.

"Soul… what reason do you have for bothering me at such an accursed hour of the day"? He sleepily questioned her.

The crying of the tiny child continued and postponed her answer, so Pitch easily grabbed her by the collar of her dress and lifted her up and onto his bed. She instantly curled herself into a ball and laid her head down on the Boogeyman's chest with her cries being reduced to soft hiccups and a few tears sliding down her cheek.

He leaned his head down to her and whispered, "What happened to make you become so upset like this, little Fearling"?

She only shook her head and wiped away a few tears that were falling down her face.

Whatever had her so upset seemed to have done its job but Pitch knew that she didn't have a nightmare, but maybe she recalled something from the depths of her mind. Perhaps a memory that had gone from bad to mentally scarring.

"Soul," He asked of her once more. "Please try to tell me what happened".

Hesitantly, Soul quietly mumbled out, "I- I had a dream that… t- that a very bright light w- was chasing m- me… through the woods outside. It… it followed me t- to the entrance of the l- lair. When I… tried to g- get away from it… it took me up i- in the sky. I- I really thought I… was going to crash into the moon".

Pitch understood Soul's words completely but did not recall when Soul had managed to get near the entrance of the realm without him or one of his Night Mares noticing. Either way, he knew he had to put her crying to a standstill.

He tilted her head up show that she could look him right into the eyes and she became silent. "Soul it was only a dream of some sorts, no need to be afraid, little Fearling". He smirked somewhat. "Now time to go back to sleep, alright"?

She simply nodded her head and with a small smile, Soul was put back to sleep with the use of some nightmare sand.

For the next hour, Pitch kept her where she lied on his chest and gently stroked her head as he continued to ensure that no more horrid dreams came to her in her sleep. Although, he did keep in mind to return Soul to her own bedroom in a couple of minutes just to make sure that she would sleep well.

Well that was the plan anyway, but soon enough his own fatigue caught up with him and forced him back into his own slumber.

With both arms cradling the tiny child, the Nightmare King felt at peace of mind as he slept. True he was regaining strength but this was a completely different empathy. This feeling actually managed to make his non-beating heart feel like it beat once again.

The Nightmare King was no fool however, he knew the sensation came from being around Soul. Now Soul may have been half Fearling and half human but she was the only source of light and joy that Pitch had right now.

Pitch was surely going to treasure her while he could.

* * *

**The end for this chapter has come, my readers. Though, the next one will ensure that this cliffhanger will have something to flow into.**

**So until the next chapter of this story yet to come.**


	13. Wavering Conditions

**This is the thirteenth chapter to be added into this story and where the story will continue until the next chapter is added.**

* * *

Time passed differently in the darkness of the realm than it did in the actual outside world. One month had passed inside the shadowy lair but eleven months had quickly come and gone.

For Pitch Black this change worked to his advantage so that his believers increased literally overnight, or sometimes they decreased much to his disadvantage. The time change only worked that way when he was inside his liar however. When he was outside all time flowed normally, but with a little half Fearling in his accompaniment lately, Pitch hasn't been outside as much.

In all, this was all normal in his book.

For Soul… well it basically confused the hell out of her at first. She soon understood the how, what and why of why this actually occurred when Pitch sat her down and explained it to her.

Now she didn't question the topic any further even after what seemed like an impossible speech about time and space. Only as for the fact that she was with the Boogeyman and that was all that truly mattered to her.

* * *

Grey clouds gathered together in the midday sky as they soon easily covered the entire land below them. For a brief moment they remained still but soon enough snow began to fall and started to form a blanket over the world beneath the heavens.

A small figure watched with silvery eyes and mild interest as the first layer of tiny snowflakes broke apart into thousands if not millions of bitty pieces as they hit the ground. The figure watched from a bear-like cave that if traveled through by the shadows it would lead into the lair of the Nightmare King.

Soon enough, she was joined by the Nightmare King, himself, and he kept to the shadows as she barely sat in the light of day with a dark jacket kept tight around her body.

"Enjoy the daylight while you can, Soul". Pitch told her. "Given enough time, you can no longer touch, go near, or really look right at the brightness of day. The only reason I am able to be out here right now is as for the fact that it is snowing and that means that the clouds cover most of the sun beams".

Soul sighed, "Yeah I know..." She then turned back to look at him. "Nowadays I can also see that my skin is turning grey like yours".

He nodded lightly, "In time your appearance will be only slightly altered but you will seemingly look the same. Now come along, little Fearling, it is time we return to the darkness before the snow stops falling".

Then he extended a hand towards her but found that she had turned back to watching the snow fall to earth. She seemed to be entertained by the white substance but Soul looked like she was wishing to do more than watch.

Pitch then frowned as he thought about her… condition once again and then came to acknowledge that this might be the last snowfall that she might ever see. Right now all he knew is that her entire body would be the same colors as his by the time the transformation had ended, but he knew something extremely bad instantly happened as the change ended.

Still, something with his power to change dreams into nightmares did this and that pretty much meant that he did this to her indirectly but it was still traced back to be his fault.

He needed to see if there was a way to stop what was happening from happening.

"Soul," Pitch called to her.

She turned her head back around to see him. "Yes sir"?

"Why don't you play around in the snow for a little bit while I tend to some things that need my attention"? He offered.

"Seriously," Soul smiled. "I can go out and play while it is still daylight"?

"This is a snow day after all". Pitch said warmly.

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree and she jumped up from where she sat and ran out of the cave a few feet before suddenly stopping and turning back to Pitch. "I want you to come though". She frowned somewhat.

"Child, I have no place frolicking about in this weather condition," He stated. "You do however. Just be sure to make sure to run back to the realm if some humans try to take you, fight you, or even try to talk to you. Now remember, if running does not work then I grant you permission to use your powers against them. Now go on and have a good time before I change my mind, little one".

He waved her off and she smiled at him before bolting through the thick wooden area. Once she was out of sight, Pitch slipped away into the shadows and down into the depths of his lair.

When he finally managed to arrive at the room he had been looking for, he stepped in silently and began to search for some answers. The room was his ancient archive from when he first arrived on earth, and he came to this planet somewhere around nine thousand B.C.

**AN: That is when it is said that he came here, people.**

Fallen rocks were scattered about the entire room as it seemed like the whole ceiling could give way at any given point. Hundreds of papers littered the floor as thousands of cobwebs danced around each and every corner.

In the midst of everything however, Pitch managed to find an old scroll he had written some legendary powers down it.

Now why hadn't he used these powerful powers against the Guardians you may ask?

Answer: He needed a hell lot of believers. Like whole worlds full of children and adults believing in his nightmares and fear.

Although, as he read what the scroll had written down about the children turning into Fearlings, Pitch dropped the scroll and stepped back against the wall.

"Good lord…" He gasped slightly. "I have condemned her… to death. I cannot stop the transformation once it had begun, and now it is over halfway there". The Nightmare King fell to his knees feeling nothing but ultimate sorrow and complete guilt. "Soul… you… you are going to… to die".

What he had read told him about Fearling entering into a child's mind and then taking their bodies over from the inside to the outside. During and after the transformation time the child becomes immortal and then turns into an immortal for life.

In spite of that, the child then becomes a pure, mindless Fearling bent on only doing that of what its Nightmare King commands it to do.

However, the life force of the child changed Fearling soon runs out over time. Once the life force runs out the child begins to die and once they die they become nothing but sand added into the nightmares.

Soul would perish like the billions of changed children before her.

No…

Just no.

No, just hell no!

"I will not allow this to happen to her"! Pitch growled as his eyes lit up in the darkness. "No, there must be some way to prevent the full transformation; please there must be some kind of way"! A tear came to his eye and he blinked and let it drop to the dusty floor. "Please"!

Pitch, of course, wanted Soul to be an immortal like himself since he had seen so many people live on while their family members died. He didn't want to just sit there and watch her die off like every other human, but not at the cost of shortening her life and watching her turn into sand after she died.

"There must be something else amongst these papers and scrolls"! He stood back up and began to look through each and every piece of paper.

Even more scrolls were tossed to the ground after being looked over and claimed to be useless. Although, if something that would help Soul's condition existed its information would exist in these documents.

"Please let there be a way to stop this before it can proceed any further"! Pitch pleaded with the white sheets filled with writings.

An hour passed before Pitch had gone through all of his papers that were linked to his past powers and his history of nearly concurring the universe. All of that information, all of those past powers that once existed, and all he got out of it was one piece that would help.

Pitch dropped the last scroll where the information came from onto the floor and sighed heavily. "I must get a world's worth of children to believe in my power for at least a few minutes so that I could stop Soul from going any further into the transformation stages".

Then Pitch stood up to his full height and folded his arms. "I am going to need to a couple of Guardians out of my way first".

A calendar made out of nightmare sand appeared before him and Pitch saw the month that it was and smirked ever so evilly. "It is time we rid ourselves of a few winter Guardians". He stated.

The Nightmare King began to think up a new plan before suddenly taking a solid knife of black sand right through the date marked the twenty fifth of December.

"Merry Christmas," Pitch's voice echoed through the darkness of the evil lair.

* * *

**Muwhaha, Christmas in July anyone? **

**Yes? No? **

**Alright, just thought I'd come up with some sort of laugh.**

**Aside from that, the whole Fearling thing is fully explained now so now all Pitch has to do is kill a few people. Normal day for him, I bet.**

**Either way, until the next chapter will the story continue from, my readers.**


	14. Raging Wars

**For the fourteenth time now, this is the continuation from the last chapter of this fanfic into the newest chapter to be added into this story so far.**

* * *

Various snowflakes fell against tree branches like they were following along in a perfectly timed melody. Snowmen were now lined up in front of homes of families while children, dressed for the occasion, frolicked about in the winter substance.

Everything was as it should have been.

Well, except for two silvery eyes peeking out from within the thick woods and watching as several kids came running by without noticing her. Truly the young child's time with the Nightmare King had taught her a thing or two about keeping to the shadows, but not like her time before that had nothing to help with her hiding.

Soul was scared for the first time in months and was now desperately wishing she still had her ghost doll to hold onto and talk to. Instead, she gripped her necklace in hopes that it would aide her from being seen by the human children.

Luck runs out however.

Soon enough, Soul was spotted by a young girl who seemed to be about the same age as her, if not younger. The kid's blonde, messy hair danced around her face as she came up to Soul who was now standing right outside the woods.

"Hiya," The girl smiled brightly. "Want to come play"?

Soul frowned somewhat, "I'm not sure Pitc- I mean my father would allow me to play with other children". She slightly smirked as she thought about saying father and then looked back up at the child.

"Come on," She insisted. "My brother said we need one more kid to have a team".

"A team of what exactly"? Soul questioned.

The blonde girl was about to answer her question before a several falling snowballs came flying through the air and headed right for them. None of them hit them, of course, since Soul moved the girl out of the way before she could get hit.

Then two boys came running up to the girls and panted slightly as they looked back as other children were chasing them while they were armed with chilling snow.

"Hey Sophie," One of them called out to. "That kid playing in our snowball war or what"?

Sophie looked to Soul and she simply nodded in agreement. "Yeah Jamie, she said she'll play"!

"Great"! The eleven year old smiled. "Alright Sophie you go with Claude and take them by surprise around their backs"!

The little girl nodded and quickly ran behind the other boy named Claude as they ran through someone's yard. Jamie then grabbed Soul by the arm and started to lead her down the street. "You come with me and we'll lead them into our trap"!

"_Well… I guess there is no harm in just playing along". _Soul thought to herself before saying, "What is the trap"?

Jamie laughed and the said, "A huge fishing net full of snowballs that's ready to drop at any time! That's why we got to use it before the net breaks"!

He led her into a park area where up slightly hidden within the tops of two medium sized trees lied the net. Two ropes were wrapped around one branch on each tree and if they were unwrapped they would send the snowballs flying down to earth in a split second.

"Here you hide behind that tree and I'll hide over here"! Jamie instructed to her. "Watch as I pull the rope and then you pull your rope at the same exact time! Only do it when I do it first, got it"?

"Alright," Soul said half not understanding what was going on for a snowball war to break out.

They waited there for about three minutes before four new children showed up in the park with their arms filled with snow. Slowly they walked their way right underneath the net without even noticing such a noticeable trap. Soul then looked over to see Jamie starting to unravel his rope and she just let her own run free off the branch.

The entire net fell on top of the children, snowballs and all. A rather loud thump was heard before Jamie and Soul looked each other in the eyes and noticed that nothing underneath the pile was moving.

The boy then went over to the snow and began to dig his friends out of there before a hand popped out and grabbed his jacket.

"AAHHH"! Jamie yelped as he jumped back like he had just seen a zombie.

Soul snickered slightly, "Oi, oi, that is just a hand, boy. No need emit the scent of fear in the air".

He titled his head at the girl before the rest of his friends jumped out from the mountain amount of snow that fell right on top of them.

"You got us good"! A blonde boy with glasses laughed.

"Dude," Another kid jumped into the air excitedly. "That was a truly and ultimately awesome snowball war! The best one to happen yet"!

"Hey who's this"? One of the girls questioned as she wiped snow off of her white winter hat.

"Sophie found her and got her to play with us, Pippa". Jamie stated and then turned to Soul. "What's your name again"?

"My name is Soul," Soul stated clearly for all of them to hear. "Soul Black to be precise".

"Cool name," Jamie smiled. "Hey I don't think we've seen you around here before, you new to the town of Burgess"?

She smirked slightly as she came up with a good lie for the kids. "My father and I moved here only recently cause he has to travel because of the work he does".

"What's your dad's job"? Pippa asked her.

"He works with children's stories". Soul said. "Kind of like weaving with the dreams of childhood through illustration. He teaches them about the truth of life with his line of work".

"Sounds awesome," Jamie smiled.

He was about to say something else before the boy from earlier, Claude, came running into the park and right for the group of children. "Guys! Guys! Jack is back! He's at his place with Sophie right now"! He shouted into the air happily.

"Really"!? All the children except Soul replied with grins appearing on their faces.

"Jack…"? Soul questioned uneasily. "Who is he, Jamie"?

The boy only continued to grin as he said, "Come on we'll show you who Jack is".

The group of children quickly hurried to a little location in the wooden area right beside the town. Soul went with them out of curiosity but still felt that something bad was about to happen.

Right as they came to a small, frozen patch of water when out of nowhere a teenager with pure white hair, wearing a blue shirt appeared from the sky with Sophie in his arms. He set her down on the ground as he suddenly flew back into the sky and bolted by multiple snowflakes making their way down to earth.

When he landed on the ice, frost began to form around wherever he stepped as he slung his staff over his shoulders. He smiled, "Hey guys, you miss me while I was gone"?

All but one replied to the teenager and Jack took notice of the newest sheep to join the children's herd. The kids took notice of that and they pushed Soul to the front of their group to meet the winter spirit.

"Hey," Jamie grinned. "Do you believe in Jack Frost"?

"Jack Frost…"!? Soul gasped upon realizing who the spirit was.

The Nightmare King had warned her to stay away from humans and looked what happened. He also warned her about the Guardians and to stay away from them unless she wanted to end back into her old hell of a life.

"Heh, looks like I've got another believer on my side". Jack smiled warmly. "What's your name, kiddo"?

"M- My name is none of your concern, Guardian". Soul growled as she began to back away from the kids and Frost.

"Hey what's going on"? Jamie questioned. "Soul, it's alright because Jack is on our side, your side".

She shook her head and her hand then clutched her necklace in hopes that it would somehow protect her.

On the other hand, Jack heard her name and his eyes widened at who this grey skinned child was. He had seen her picture once before but in that picture her skin was more of a healthier color, but now it really seemed like Pitch was turning this kid into some sort mini Pitch.

"Guys…" Frost said calmly. "Get away from here". They all went to question what he meant but he cut them off. "No questions-" Jack stated and then turned to see that Soul's arms were turning into nightmare sand. "JUST RUN NOW"! He shouted.

Two small, nightmare sand hands grabbed Jack's throat and he didn't have time to scream before his body was thrown through several trees. Soul's eyes were no longer silver at this point of using her powers; no they were just as yellow as any other Fearlings' eyes.

Jack, of course, came flying back into battle to protect his friends from getting hurt. However, would he be able to protect himself?

What seemed to be claws instead of nails were thrown at Jack's face. He jumped back at each swipe tossed at him but as he back himself into a tree, his chest got slashed by tiny, sharp claws.

"**I am slightly surprised to see that your blood is red, Guardian". **Soul spoke in a frightening tone. **"Let us see if your internal organs are colored as they should be then"!**

Jack then jumped into the air and landed on his frozen pond. "Soul, I don't want to hurt you"! He stated as his hand went to his now slightly bloodied chest.

"**Too bad," **She hissed. **"As for the fact I wish for you to perish in hell"!**

Right when Jack was actually going to attempt to freeze Soul in order not to actually bring harm to her, Soul then dropped to the ground writhing in pain. No one had touched the girl or even said anything, but there she laid crying about a pain that had come over her.

_**Soul, what are you doing!?**_

"**Ridding myself from a ticket back to hell"! **She argued with her inner Fearling.

_**Stop this at once and let yourself fall back into the shadows!**_

"**No," **Soul cried out now feeling even more gut wrenching pain. **"He will just end up taking me away"!**

_**Do as I say or regret it, Soul!**_

"**Fine then"! **She snapped back at herself.

Suddenly jumping off of the ground, Soul ran from the direction of Jack Frost and his small group of believers. Frost naturally tried to follow her but lost her right as she dived into a patch of shadows and vanished to who knows where.

No.

Jack knew that she went running back to the Nightmare King. Once she told him about their encounter, Pitch would surely be placed in the mood to chop someone's head off.

The winter spirit then gripped his neck as he went back to explain things to his believers in the easiest way he could.

* * *

At the time being, the Nightmare King was lounging on his throne while his eyes looked over the bright lights all about his dark globe which was placed in the center of the room. He was irritated to see how many children believed in their precious Guardians at the moment, but he also felt lonely since he had let Soul go out to play on her own.

Of course, planning to take down two winter Guardians at once and then plunge the world into darkness for at least a few minutes was at the top of his priorities but he had already finished planning out the first course of action to take.

Pitch would have begun to plan the second part of his plan, since nothing was happening at the moment, but soon found that the crying of a child had started to echo throughout his lair.

"Soul…" He said knowing right away who the cries belonged to.

He started to walk towards the sobbing child when he heard unearthly screeches that he hadn't heard since the Golden Ages. Once that begun to echo through his realm, he instantly quickened his pace.

"**STOP TRYING TO TAKE OVER MY MIND"! **Soul screamed as it sounded like she losing her will to cry any longer.

"Soul," Pitch gasped upon seeing her right beside the entrance to the realm. "What happened to you"?!

Then, like the Sandman, symbols appeared for the words that were dying along with her voice. It showed Pitch the snowball war she participated in and then the children trying to get her to meet Jack Frost. Once she met Jack, fear took over all her thoughts and emotions in order to protect Soul from the Guardian that was trying to return her to her hell of a past life.

Pitch took the suffering child into his arms and carried her back to her bedroom. He tried to lay Soul onto her bed in order to suppress the fear plaguing her mind.

Needless to say, it worked only after she was almost swallowed up by her own waking nightmares, but it worked and that was all that mattered in the end.

The Nightmare King took the now sleeping child and covered her up on her bed. He then stood by her side for what seemed like eternity before he said, "This is all my fault".

Looking back towards the shadows surrounding the room, Pitch wished once more that Soul's condition didn't have to be this way. However, his wishing would only become a reality as soon as his plan was thrown into action.

He didn't want to leave her side but in order to place his minions where they needed to be, he had to even though he felt a sharp pain within his chest. Pitch forgot his pain as he reminded himself of how much pain Soul must have been in and that only hurried him along.

As he strode down to the depths of the shadows where his Fearlings awaited him, Pitch felt anger consume his emotions. All this happened because he wasn't there with Soul when she was surrounded by humans and that led her to Frost.

Night Mares stood a good distance away from their master as they felt the rage emanating from him. Each and every one of them knew that he was cursing the Guardians' existence once again, but this time they knew which one he was wishing to murder. They all looked uneasy until on snap of the Nightmare King's fingers caught their attention.

"Find him," Pitch Black instructed the Fearlings. "And then bring his cold, non-beating heart back here to me as proof that he has been sent to the fiery pits of hell".

Everything went dark as the Night Mares took off through the lair and into the sky above. This time they knew that their intentions to kill was for something more than extinguishing a few believers.

This time it was personal.

* * *

**Ok so now this chapter is officially completed except for the fact that it ended with another cliffhanger.**

**The cliffhanger will die as soon as the next chapter is posted so until the next chapter, my readers.**


	15. Breaking Ice

**This is the continuation from the last chapter of this here fanfic into the newest chapter to be added so far.**

**Aside from that, beware this chapter if you are the type of person that hates blood, beatings and good descriptions about those two things. Especially when they involve a certain winter spirit.**

**So now that you are all warned and prepared for what is to come, this is the continuation starting now!**

* * *

The sun had set over the town of Burgess since that little incident at the frozen pond right on the side of the town. Jack Frost had managed to convince his believers that what they saw was just a scuffle amongst Immortals and nothing less, nothing more. It may have taken an hour to explain such a thing but he did manage to quickly say everything he had to say.

Well believe it or not, the children actually believed that and went back to their rightful homes in order not to be caught in another battle.

As soon as they were safe and sound in their houses, Jack instantly went back to his pond and saw that there will still traces of black sand everywhere. He shook his head as the sand wouldn't vanish at the use everything he tried to remove it with, but no luck on his end.

In which all he got out of that was that frost was not a good stain remover.

Still, he had other things to worry about at the time being other than mysterious stains.

Slinging his staff over his shoulder, Jack sighed, "What the hell was up with Soul? Using nightmare sand is Pitch's specialty… but now none of this makes sense anymore".

Slowly, he glanced down at the ice that he had used to cover up the tiny, precise slash marks that were still partially bleeding here and there.

Soul had been with the Nightmare King for some while now but he in that time he had managed to teach her how to protect and defend herself pretty well. She had only showed some of what she had learned and Jack knew that there must have been more moves she could've used to try and kill him.

Still, something inside her mind must've told her not to as for the fact that she ran off into the shadows, but even then that was by pure luck that she did that. At least since Soul did that, Jack didn't have to freeze her solid where she stood.

Now that was something that would've been really hard to explain to Jamie and the others why he did such a thing.

In spite of that, his thoughts went back to the memory of Soul's hands turning into nightmare sand. Did Pitch simply give her some sand to use in case of an emergency or did this little girl actually know how to use such a power against an enemy? Did this mean that Soul was now on the Nightmare King's side?

No matter the case or side, he knew that he had to report this to North and the other Guardians as soon as possible.

Jumping to the top of one of the tallest trees in the area, Jack had to catch the quickest wind current to the North Pole so that no time would or could be wasted. He waited for about a minute before he felt something, but what he felt was not the wind.

A sharp pain entered his shoulder as he looked back to see that a Night Mare had bitten right through his flesh and right down to the bone. Instantly, he yelped out in pain and squirmed free of the black beast before freezing in midair. It fell to the forest floor with a crashing noise only to fade back into the shadows and reappear as a Hell Hound.

Jack went to go freeze the beast once more but his eyes caught that of the sight before him. "Oh shit…"! He gasped as he saw that of an army of Night Mares flying through the air in that of a tornado fashion.

They were all neighing with pure rage as they quickly descended upon the winter spirit, giving him not time whatsoever to prepare to fight or take flight.

The first thing they did was take away his main source of power, his staff. Jack managed to see two of the Fearlings carry that away to who knows where, leaving his with barely any strength to fight back with.

After that, dark hooves kicked him right in his gut and after what seemed to be over a hundred kicks, Jack swore he heard and felt his ribs breaking into that of splinters. The horses then tore off his blue hoodie, that was slightly stained with blood, and revealed that of his unprotected, snow-like flesh.

His skin was not so white for too long.

Spirals of nightmare sand coiled around his chest and arms and had spikes popping out of the black bindings at any random second. More Night Mares bit down into his skin and left the same kinds of bite marks that sharks would leave on their prey.

Without a doubt in their minds and orders, Jack Frost was indeed their intended prey.

Hell Hounds jumped from off of the ground floor into the air. They only managed to stay airborne for a few seconds but got to bite into Frost's legs and feet, leaving them completely mashed and broken.

Roars of pain came from Jack's throat only for the Fearlings to kick him in his neck and turn the outside of it into that of the color of purple. He still screamed however, but blood now flowed through his lips with each little whimper or loud roar that came from the teenager.

To make matters worse, the nightmare sand around his arms traveled down even deeper into his skin and even began to saw into his bones without wasting any time on killing him. Ear piercing neighs ran throughout his ears as he tried to scream out for someone to help him.

No one would help him.

No one would be there to ensure that his wounds wouldn't become scars.

No one would ease his minds when the nightmares came to haunt his mind that was use to peaceful, golden dreams.

The Fearlings were certain to make sure of all of that.

Mainly as for the fact that this would be all to over soon enough.

With that fact in their dark minds, they continued to beat Jack unmercifully until they drove the teenage immortal onto the top of his frozen pond.

Once he laid there, barely even breathing at this point, they just watched and waited without a sound escaping from any one of them.

Jack, somehow, actually managed to sit up and run his bloodied hands over his beaten, reddened body. Everything hurt from the top of his aching head to the bottom of his broken feet.

And yet somehow it still managed to get even worse.

Even though his vision was blurry right now, Jack saw a dark figure stand before him with hatred burning through their eyes and focusing that anger onto him. He was no fool however; he knew that without a doubt that this was the man who caused all this to happen just with the snap of his cold, dead fingers.

A grey hand swiftly placed itself upon Jack's bruised cheek as it slowly went to his mouth a felt the blood pumping out with each breath the winter spirit took. For a second there, Jack thought that nothing was going to happen, but he was proved wrong.

In a split second, a complete shockwave of pain was sent flying through his entire head as the winter spirit was sent flying to the other side of his frozen pond. The Nightmare King wiped off the blood that was once on his hand and now held his fist in his other hand.

"You know," Pitch stated clearly and evilly. "It has been quite some time since I last punched someone that hard, but since it was you, I had made sure to punch with all of my might". His eyes narrowed upon that of the weakened Guardian.

Jack Frost tried to get back up or at least sit up in order to defend himself but found out that his body was no longer responding to his orders.

"I can't tell you how much you have upset Soul, Frost". Pitch continued. "You sent her into a state of shock and then into a state of defense when you prepared to battle with her".

Jack coughed up some more blood and held his throat as his tried to speak. "She… she a- attacked… m- me… f- first…"!

The Nightmare King frowned and glared upon the young boy. "I do not care if she attacked you. What I care about is the fact that you attacked her. Now that you have gone and done that I have had to throw my perfect plan of action into full force even faster than I expected, Frost".

"P- Plan…"!? The Guardian gasped with a dying voice.

"Oops, well I guess you have heard too much for your own good". Pitch sarcastically stated before getting back to being serious once more.

He walked upon the frozen top of the pond and noticed that Jack was on the weaker end of the ice. "Tell me, boy," Pitch smirked devilishly as a new idea came to his mind. "This was your grave once before, was it not"?

"_No," _Frost thought to himself as his eyes widened with pure fear coursing through them. _"He wouldn't dare! Oh good lord please tell he isn't going to do what I think he's going to do"!_

The two Night Mares that took his staff earlier returned to their master and gave him the staff that held most of Jack's power. Frost knew nothing about what was about to happen but he didn't like the fact that it was going to involve his prized weapon. He raised the staff high above his head before looking Jack right in the eyes.

"Be afraid," The Nightmare King whispered with devilish tones racing throughout his voice. "Be very, very afraid". With that said and done, Pitch slammed the staff into the ice.

At first nothing happened but that quickly changed as a rather large crack appeared in the ice. The one giant opening spread to Jack and even more appeared underneath the teenage Guardian.

Jack's lips went to say or scream something before the ice broke but it was too late. In the course of one second, he fell into the freezing water once more with no means of escaping. It was exactly like the last time except for how it happened and what came afterwards.

This time there was no Man in the Moon around to save him.

This time the Nightmare King had won their battle.

This time everything went Pitch Black.

* * *

**Awesome ending if I do say so myself. Epic even, but that is the ending for this chapter and it is time to move onto the next one. **

**Now you are, of course, allowed to read over this chapter as many times as you like, so enjoy.**

**However, I must begin to write the next part right away, so until the next part is released will the story continue.**


	16. Hammering In Nails

**This is the continuation from where the fanfic last left off from, and be warned that the gore still continues into this chapter as well.**

**You are now warned and now the story picks back up.**

* * *

**Jack Frost's Point of View:**

Darkness.

That was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.

It was dark, it was cold and I was scared.

There was no light around to frighten the darkness away.

Everything was just pitch black.

Soon enough, a dim light was turned on but it kept flickering on and off as the time surrounding me slowly passed.

All I saw was that I was in a dungeon of some sorts. My aching hands and broken feet were tied back in the chair that I currently was retrained in by the use of nightmare sand, but none of that mattered when I suddenly came to realize where I was.

"Pitch's… lair-" I started to speak but then felt a stinging sensation course throughout my entire throat.

It felt like it was bleeding out the fire of hell, but then all the memories and pain from the battle earlier came back in haunting clarity. I didn't need to remember how badly I was beaten, but I did recall the Nightmare King sending me back down into my old grave.

"P- Pitch…"? I called out in a whisper for anyone or him to hear. "I- Is s- someone… or a- anyone… t- there… p- p- please…"?

Looking past all of the coffins that were lined up against the walls of the room, I noticed a faint light from where a door was beginning to creep open. I wished with all my heart that it was one or all of the Guardians here to save me from any more beatings that Pitch and his Fearlings could possibly give me.

I was so wrong to assume such a thing would happen.

* * *

**No Longer Jack's Point of View:**

Soul came walking through the door with the Nightmare King holding her hand as if to comfort her in some manner. Jack tried to growl but his sore throat prevented him from doing so. The attempt however, got both dark figures to glare upon the winter spirit that was tied to a chair in the center of the room.

"I don't like him being near me". She whispered faintly. "He'll take me back to the orphanage, I know it".

Pitch gave her a gentle smirk and continued to hold her hand as they walked towards Frost. "There, there Soul, I have only brought him here to insure that everything will go according to my plan".

"What plan is that"? She questioned him.

The Nightmare King felt his heart sink as she asked him that. He couldn't tell her what was slowly happening inside of her, he just could not do it.

Yes he told Soul about how he had captured the winter spirit and had told her how the other Fearlings beat him until almost every bone in his body was shattered. However, telling her how she was soon to die if nothing was done to aide her condition would surely destroy her heart.

In which, he just continued to comfort her. "Relax little one, you need not know of my intentions just yet. Although, as for the time being, maybe you can exact a little revenge on the pathetic Guardian that lies before us. We are simply going to bide our time right now".

He released her hand only to place a solid, black dagger into the palm of that hand. "Make me proud, Soul". Pitch said knowing that she surely would do so.

The little girl looked at the dagger for a couple of seconds and then back up to Pitch. He motioned to Jack Frost and took a step back so that she could get on with the torture.

"N- No…" Jack gasped weakly. "D- Do not… d- do it… Soul"!

His words died in vain as the small weapon was inserted into the bruise, bloodied skin of his stomach. He yelped out in pain only to cause blood to begin to trickle out of his mouth once more.

"You are exerting way too much fear, Frost". She stated calmly and firmly like the Nightmare King would. "Should we put you out of your misery already"?

"Soul," Pitch spoke up. "There is no killing to be occurring as for the time being, just torture".

She nodded her head and then began to turn the dagger while it was still stuck in Jack's flesh. "Then I guess it is time to carve you up like a pumpkin".

He continued to scream out in pain with each swipe or incision the tiny weapon made upon or into his gut. Soul was actually carving a picture or something into him, but when he went to look down at what was there, Pitch yanked his head back by his blood drenched hair.

"Now, now," He purred with his voice laced with evil. "We don't want to spoil the surprise, right Jack? Soul be a sweetheart and slightly puncture one of his lesser organs, would you"?

"Yes sir". Soul said with no hesitation at all.

With a swift flick of her wrist, she lowered the dagger and stabbed right into the side of one of Jack's kidneys. Blood instantly seemed to explode from his lower stomach as Jack's vision was starting to blur once more. If that wasn't enough, Soul twisted the weapon is every which way until the winter Guardian thought that she was never going to stop this punishment.

"AAAAAARRRGGGGGG"! He roared with his entire jaw now painted with the colors of blood. "FOR THE LOVE OF MIM, STOP IT"!

He tried to kick the devilish child away from him, but the nightmare sand only cut even deeper into his flesh with each second he squirmed.

In which, Jack tired to pull his head out of the Nightmare King's grip. Well that didn't work out well for him as for the fact when he tried that. Pitch simply dug his sharp finger nails into the top of his head.

He lowered his head down next to Jack's own bleeding head. "You are weak, Frost. To think that I really thought that it would be a lot more _fun_ when we tortured you. Well, you proved me wrong, Jack, so good for you". Pitch hissed into his ear before throwing his head forward.

The winter spirit only hung his head down and didn't even bother to lift it even though Pitch had released it. Ever growing pain continued to plague him, but no pain could match that of the sight that was now carved into his gut.

Pitch smirked upon the sight of the weakened Guardian and then looked over to the little figure that was done carving into the spirit as for the time being. "Soul come to me". He softly requested.

Soul placed the dagger on her beltline and then instantly went over to the Boogeyman. With her arms outstretched, Pitch easily lifted the tiny child up and into his arms before walking back towards the exit of the dungeon.

"Jack," He stated as his hand touched the doorknob. "Don't worry about what is to come. You are only staying here until all of this is over with".

"W- When… i- is… t- t- that…"!? Jack shivered in his own fear and blood.

"Just until the murder of another winter Guardian by my hand, of course". The Nightmare King spoke with a tone of pure malice. "Then my little Soul will have the pleasure of killing you all to herself".

Jack's eyes widened as he felt like he was going to vomit if the liquid crimson racing out of his mouth and down his throat already didn't count. Whereas Soul felt her heart skip a beat as she heard that she was to commit murder.

"What…"? Soul questioned as her head rested against his chest. "You said nothing about your plan to me and now I have to kill someone"?

"Do not doubt your abilities, Soul". Pitch coaxed her gently. "You will do just fine and we will be sure to make it an excellent kill".

"M- Monsters…"! Jack spat out at them.

The Nightmare King shot a glare at the winter spirit as he then exited the room with Soul in his arms. He had had enough of Jack Frost as for one evening and just wished to leave the boy to either bleed out or suffer in silence.

Soul was a different story however.

"_I am going to kill Jack"?_ She thought to herself.

_**You must kill the teenage immortal for Pitch, Soul. He will be very proud of you once you have.**_

"_Isn't wrong to take someone else's life though"?_

_**Not if that someone is a Guardian!**_

"_Really"?_

_**Of course! Believe it or not, but Pitch almost ruled over the entire universe!**_

"_Whoa… wait, what happened"?_

_**The Guardians rose up and stopped him is what occurred! They took away almost all of his power and that power went out the window with all of his ultimate powers!**_

_**We must help him kill the Guardians in order for there to be no more Guardians. Then you will have no fear of being alone or being taken back to our old hell of a life.**_

"_I… I am not alone… I have Pitch Black with me"._

_**If those protectors of children come near him, only after seeing Jack, then they will have no choice but to kill him. That is why we must kill them beforehand.**_

Soul felt a cold, grey hand touch her shoulder and that snapped her out of her train of thought with her inner Fearling. She looked up to find that Pitch was looking down upon her with slight concern.

"I apologize if you have no desire to rid the world of Jack Frost, Soul". The Nightmare King told her. "I thought it would be something for you enjoy but if you want me to kill him…" His voice fell as she raised her hand to stop him from talking.

"No…" She sighed and then smirked. "I will kill Jack on my own but first you must tell me how you are going to murder North".

"We will get to that but only after we clean your bloodied hands up". Pitch smiled. "You're too good to have Jack's blood upon your skin".

"Then that goes for you as well". She said. "One such as yourself is too important to have Guardian's blood anywhere but spilled upon the floor. You came up with this plan and I intend to follow it through with you, Mr. Boogeyman".

Pitch felt his heart beat once more as Soul was showing full support with his plan, his methods and him in general. She showed hesitation at first but now Pitch was certain that after her condition was stabilized, she would prove to be an excellent dark leader much like himself.

After all she truly had been and was now and forever Soul Black.

* * *

**The end for this chapter has come, but first an announcement.**

**So this will be somewhat of an end for all of the bloodshed of Jack Frost as for the time being. However, expect to see a hell of a lot more of it when the rest of the Guardians show up.**

**It might be a chapter or two but it will get there in due time.**

**So until the next chapter of this fanfic will the story continue forward.**


	17. Creating New Wounds

**Once again this is the continuation from the last chapter of this whole fanfic that now picks up in this newest chapter to be added in so far.**

* * *

Hours seemed to pass by in sudden blurs after Soul had been told about the Nightmare King's brilliant, evil idea on how to destroy North. At least for a couple of minutes however.

For now, Soul was left to think about over the entire plan before it was sent spiraling into motion, so she started back at the beginning.

Pitch Black would only rob the children of earth of their beloved Santa for that short amount of time only to gain all of his believers and use all that power for some mysterious power that Pitch hadn't told her about yet. She didn't know what he was going to do after that but Soul trusted him with whatever he planned to do.

Once he had used up all of that energy, Pitch would allow North to come back into existence much like the Sandman came back after the kids started to believe in him once more.

Of course, another winter figure had to die in order for this plan to work in the way of perfection, and that figure was Jack Frost.

In all, he might have gain a couple hundred believers over the time he has been a Guardian, but Pitch was going to take away his power anyway.

Soul questioned why not just take another Guardian's energy away and that sent the Nightmare King on a total rant about how he almost defeated them at one point. Apparently Jack was the only main reason Pitch lost.

"Frost is to remain permanently dead after all of this is said and done". Soul recalled Pitch saying to her. "He has caused me too much trouble for me to allow him to live. Besides, the balance of the world was fine before he came into the picture, but the balance will be tipped if North remains dead for too long".

Jack Frost was important to keep the fun balance within children alive and well, but if he perishes children will still have fun either way. The same thing went with each and every Guardian.

There was hope before Bunnymund.

Memories before Tooth came around.

Dreams existed before the Sandman.

And wonder has always been within humans.

Even before Pitch Black, fear and Fearlings roamed the universe in insane hunger of the sweetest of children's dreams. Fear crushed entire empires in single seconds, countless armies and has coexisted with hope, wonder, memories, and dreams since the very beginning.

Soul flopped over on her side as she sat upon Pitch's throne, and she then raised her hands to her head. "Way too much information for just one kid…" She grumbled as she had caused herself a headache.

The Nightmare King had told her to think over the entire plan and think over all of what she had been told so far. Well, aside from a headache due to over thinking, everything was perfectly clear as could be. Soul just wished that Pitch didn't have to go off and collect more Night Mares for his plan. Of course, she wanted everything to be ready for the whole slight murder, but on the other hand, Soul wanted time to share with someone, mainly him.

Naturally without someone to actually talk to, Soul went to the next best she had nearby and locked inside of a dungeon.

The door to the torture room swung open and sent the beaten Jack Frost into somewhat of a panic attack. Soul sensed that he was afraid of another beating but he had no reason to fret, but only because she wasn't in the mood for torture at the moment.

"What do… you want…"? Jack spoke without spilling blood out of his mouth for a change.

A Hell Hound appeared from out of the shadows and lied down on the floor a few feet away from the Guardian. It somewhat surprised Jack to see such a creature that still managed to be the same size as a wolf. Then Soul used the creature like a pillow and laid back against its soft, sandy fur.

"I'm beyond bored and you are the Guardian of Fun, so get on with some sort of conversation or something, Frost". She stated.

"No…" Jack snapped bluntly. There was a chance that a snowball would end up in hell before he had a decent conversation with the person that carved open his stomach.

Soul narrowed her eyes, "I did not tell you that you had a choice in this". Two Hell Hounds appeared behind Jack with their jaws about one inch away from biting down upon his raw arms. "Now can we not share a nice, little talk or not"?

The winter spirit frowned and then nodded his head.

"Excellent," Soul smirked and then motioned for the hounds to go elsewhere. "Now tell me, Jack, how does one such as yourself manage to end up on the Nightmare King's list, kill list that is". She questioned.

He sighed and then said, "Long story cut really… really short… I refused to join… forces with Pitch, but… that's only one… of the reasons he… hates me. He wanted me… to join sides with him… and we… would've turned the entire… world into black ice. No way… in hell would I help him… turn the world back… to the Dark Ages".

Soul thought this information over for a little while and then replied, "Sounds like he only found slight interest in you since it sounds like you were left alone for years on end. Of course, he already told me everything about you and the rest of the Guardians, but none of them were all alone for three hundred years or so".

"He's just… good at… finding my… type of… lonely people".

"Oh stuff it," She scoffed. "He does not have a knack for doing such a thing. I am simply something else that his powers have managed to create all on their own".

"What"? Jack questioned with slight concern now. Soul might have been acting like a total nightmare towards him, but she was still a child that needed protection and some sort of guardian (actual Guardian or not) to worry over her.

"Let me tell you, Frost, you wouldn't understand what I am even if I had hours on end to explain everything to you". Soul sighed.

"All you have right now are hours on end".

She frowned as she felt a wave of embarrassment come over her. "I hate to be proved wrong or shone to be an idiot, and those two things are something you should really know before this".

"Before what-" Jack hissed out in pain as a Night Mare kicked him in the back with its ebony hooves.

The horse then vanished into the darkness and left the Guardian to suffer in pain. Of course, Soul kept the conversation going and went onto a different topic so that Jack wouldn't find out what she was.

"Say," She smirked once more. "How hard would you say it would be to kill off another Guardian? You already know that we plan to wipe North out, and look at where you've gotten yourself right now, but I mean in general, how hard would it actually be"?

"I- Impossible…"! He spat out at her.

"Tsk, tsk, sorry but that was not the answer I was looking for".

"A- and… I said… no way… Soul"!

She sighed deeply, "Pitch was right, there is no fun torturing you or talking to you. All we hear is no, no, and ultimately no until someone stabs you right through the gut and out the back"! A long sword appeared from her nightmare sand that she had with her, and the weapon instantly stopped right before Jack's throat.

He didn't even flinch as it seemed as if he had finally stopped resisting.

"Oh goody," Soul said sarcastically before the weapon disappeared. "I broke him".

_**Stop toying with this Guardian, Soul!**_

"Oi, oi, I thought I said for you to stop randomly popping in within my thoughts". She snapped at her inner Fearling.

Jack, on the other hand, had no idea who or what she was talking to. That led him to look at her like she was a crazy person.

_**You can kill him later, and later is after North is killed!**_

"I am not aiming to kill him as for the time being! All I wanted was someone to talk to and now I have a beaten, winter spirit and a nagging voice inside my head".

Jack almost smiled, "I- I think… that is w- what… they call a… c- conscience".

Soul turned back to the Guardian and scowled. "I do not need your sass, Jack". A small grin then appeared on her face. "Then again I won't have to deal with you much longer".

His tiny smile was wiped right off his face and a frown returned in its place.

"Hell, maybe Pitch will kill off the other Guardians as well". She purred darkly.

"S- shut it…"

"No, no," Soul said. "I can see it now. Pitch kills North and then rips a blade right through the Easter Bunny's neck".

"Shut up…"!

"Then he shoots an arrow directly into the heart of the Sandman like he told me he had done once before".

"Stop it, Soul"!

"After all of that is said and done," Soul smirked in a twisted, evil fashion. "That would leave Toothiana all alone. Oh, I wonder how the Nightmare King would end up slaughtering her… do you have any ideas Jack"?

"D- Don't make… me kill you…"! He growled with a tiny trickle of blood coming out of his mouth.

"No," She stated firmly now standing with the Hell Hound right beside her. "I think I will let you think of the endless ways that she could perish".

The half Fearling walked to the door of the torture room and slammed the door shut as she started to hear Jack moan in pain. She had completed with torturing the poor teenager, both physically and mentally.

So that left her with the rest of the day to whatever she wanted.

And so, two minutes passed by and Soul was back on the Nightmare King's throne and trying to live through boredom once again. Thankfully the said King returned soon enough, which was the next hour, and he happened to gaze upon the child that was gazing right back at him.

"Bored"? He questioned her already knowing the answer.

"Yep," She sighed.

"Have you already tortured Jack Frost today, Soul"?

"That's been done for what seems like forever". She groaned.

"Well you are in luck since I need one last batch of Night Mares and Hell Hounds for my plan". Pitch stated as a Hell Hound silently appeared by his master's side. "In order to get the number required by daylight however, I need a little assistance from you, little nightmare".

"You mean to say that I am going to turn dreams into nightmares"? Soul smirked and jumped down from the throne and ran into the Boogeyman's arms.

"Well in a manner of speaking," Pitch smirked. "I will be helping you learn how to taint sweet dreams. The nightmares will then just end up aiding us in my plan".

"Alright," The little half Fearling smiled. "Are we going anywhere in general, Pitch"?

"Oh, I just thought a little town with a good number of children would serve us just nicely". He stated clearly and evilly. "The believers are strong with dreams, hope and wonder but they are mostly skilled in fun".

"Let's take their faith in the Guardians away already".

Pitch nodded as he walked back into the shadows. "We will, but for these children it will be hard to take away something like that. Nightmares are easily given, but for Jack's friends, I'd say we would need another way to snuff out their lights".

Then, just like that, the two appeared right outside the town of Burgess.

* * *

**The evilly ended chapter is now completed.**

**So yes there will be no actual, eternity killings in my story but there will be moments when a person is dead. They will just come back through the kids' belief in them.**

**With that said and done, until the next chapter, my readers.**


	18. Dimming The Lights

**From the seventeenth chapter of this fanfic, this is the newest and eighteenth chapter to help this story continue. Also, be warned for more blood images for this chapter as well.**

**So you are now warned and now the story picks back up.**

* * *

**Jamie's Point Of View During His Dreams:**

_Darkness shrouded the room as I silently stood on the bottom stair awaiting the arrival of the Guardian of Wonder._

_The Christmas tree, already decorated, was standing tall in our living room also waiting for North to show up. _

_No presents just yet._

_Untouched cookies and milk as well._

_Still, I knew he would come eventually._

_**What an adorable dream… **_

_**Indeed, so then I say we add a touch of fear…**_

_I looked around thinking I had heard a voice or two, but turning my head every which way, I ended up seeing that no one was around._

_My gaze went back to the tree only to look to the window and find that the sun was rising._

"_What…"? I questioned since it was the dead of night a second ago. "That's impossible"._

_Right as I said that however, specks of dirt came tumbling down the chimney. A smile lit up on my face as I instantly ran to the front of the fireplace._

_The smile went away right after that._

_A dead corpse came barreling down into the fireplace which was now set ablaze with fire that seemed to be coming from hell. The dead body belonged to North and it showed that he had had his eyes removed from his body and replaced with vein coated sockets right before it was sent into the fire._

_I screamed and shrieked before running up the stairs only to stop in the middle of the staircase to see a dark figure throwing a bloody, beaten Jack Frost upon me. _

_We both fell back onto the living room floor as the fire started to spread from the chimney to every inch of the entire house. _

_Still screaming, I squirmed free from underneath Jack and kneeled down beside him. "JACK"!? I cried out to him. "PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE ALIVE, PLEASE"!_

_Mere seconds passed by in a blink and then…_

_Then…?_

_Nothing…_

_He was dead._

_Jack Frost lied there in cold blood… he was helpless and anything but alive._

_A once happy, carefree Guardian was now lying still and totally butchered upon my living room carpet. Blood everywhere, fire everywhere, and there was absolutely no way out._

_Please…!_

_Please if this is a dream, please let me wake up!_

* * *

**No Longer Jamie's Dream Point Of View:**

Jamie was the last of his friends to receive nightmares tonight. Of course, his other friends had received nightmares revolving around North's death and Jack's torture, but each dream was set for each individual child so the bad dream was as well.

Besides, the Nightmare King had told Soul that he wished to save the strongest light for last, and it really did make sense to do so anyway.

In spite of that, Soul was not the one who tainted the boy's innocent, adorable dream into a raging, miserable nightmare. Pitch Black, himself, saved that honor for none other than himself. Mainly as for the fact that he wanted to strangle the young boy for completely wrecking his plans right when he was a little inch away from sending the entire world back into the Dark Ages.

But who would really how a grudge against something so insignificant as that? (Pitch.)

Either way, the nightmare became a Hell Hound and it slowly crawled out from the black sand of the boy's mind and walked to its masters. It let loose a subtle growl before its facial features became more relaxed and in walk to Pitch's side.

He stroked a hand through its sandy fur before saying, "Now I want you to go tell the others that the wait is almost over".

His hand let go of its fur and the creature bolted through the window of the room.

"Where is he going"? Soul questioned as she sat in chair on the other side of the bedroom.

"He is merely meeting up with all of my other Night Mares and Hell Hounds". Pitch explained. "They are all placed by North's palace and awaiting my orders to attack, but he is going to tell them that you and I will be coming there soon enough".

Pitch Black silently walked over to the window of the bedroom and glanced up at the moon which was slightly hidden behind a group of clouds. "Soon enough the world will be one step closer to being dipped into darkness only to wash back up on the beaches of light".

"Dude, have you been reading poetry or have you seen a candy bar commercial lately, something like that"? Soul asked with a childish grin.

Of course, the little grin fell as Pitch instantly gave her the "are you serious right now" look. After that they both went back to being one with the tone of silence throughout darkness.

Thankfully Pitch broke that silence since it was one second away from being awkward silence. "With these children's lights now flickering off and on, we should be able to take North out with one, quick, successful sweep. In spite of that, now is not the time to be letting our guard down; other Guardians could be at his workshop at any moment or any blink of an eye".

Soul nodded at her elder's words but still felt the need to question him about his idea some more. "Are… are you sure that we have enough of them, Pitch? I… I don't… I just don't want you to get hurt or worse"!

A warm, inspiration feeling struck at Pitch's heart and the Nightmare King looked away from her for a couple of seconds. "…We have enough Fearlings to do the job the best we can at the time being... Soul, we only have so many Fearlings after my last attempt, but I am only hoping that the other Guardians will not be there when all of this goes down". He then looked back to her and looked into her silvery eyes.

"I am also counting on the fact that you will be there, but I will mainly be counting on you, Soul".

"Pitch…"? Soul said uneasily. "What do you mean"?

"I said I had enough Fearlings to pull this job off," He softly explained to her. "However, I only need to count on one. That one is you since I know that your powers are increasing and I know what you are capable of".

She shook her head at his words, "I… I can't do a lot to…" Her voice died out as she saw the Nightmare King's gaze intense increase.

"Do not doubt yourself, but please try not to think that I am placing the weight of the world upon you". He tried to calm her. "Soon enough you will comprehend your powers, but relax as for the time being".

It took a minute or more but Soul knew what was being asked of her and what was being expected of her to know all at the same time. Truly she didn't know what would happen after this, but Soul trusted Pitch and that was all that she needed to know. "…Alright…"

Out of the blue, Jamie then started to cry from the fact that he was waking up from his nightmare and both dark figures then looked at the child. His eyes snapped open and he sat straight up in his bed while grasping his covers.

Nothing.

Nothing was there.

"It… it was…" He whimpered with tears slipping down his eyes. "Just a… just a bad dream… Jack… North… are alright…"

Dark figures watched him from outside his bedroom window. Both of the figures had diabolically, evil smirks on their faces.

"How sweet of him to think such an adorable thought". Soul purred darkly while being held in the Nightmare King's arms. "What is your take on this, Pitch"?

"I would have to say that half of his thoughts are already wrong. Jack Frost is almost dead just by blood loss alone". Pitch then looked down to the little girl within his arms. "In which, it is time to prove the other half of it wrong". He slowly glanced up towards the night sky and saw that he could not see a single thing.

The same thing went for the moon when it tried to shine down through the cloud cover to try and frighten the darkness away. Even if it could get through, there was barely any chance that Pitch Black would be frightened away.

Such fear can never go away but then again it cannot ever fully escape one's mind without dragging every enemy around it into the deepest parts of hell.

This was that fear.

* * *

**So next chapter for sure is the one where all the battle begins and the major shit starts to take place.**

**If you guys have any ideas, requests or comments be sure to let me know and I might end up picking some of them to be in the story.**

**JUST do NOT try to send me request about BlackIce BECAUSE this IS NOT a BlackIce fanfic. Some people have messaged me about rather this was a PitchXJack before and it is not one. **

**If it was then it would have started off that way and be listed underneath romance, and usually I do rated M when dealing with the kinds of love fanfics I read over.**

**I'm happy to make something seem fluffy, like when Jack was being tortured by Pitch and Soul, but once again, this IS NOT a romance story.**

**Either way, until the next chapter of this story is posted.**


	19. Fall Deeper, Deeper Into The Nightmare

**First off: Yes the song that is going to be in this chapter is the song I was listening to the entire time I was typing this up. **

**Second: Yes there will be blood spill so you are now warned.**

**So with all of that said and done, this is the nineteenth chapter of this fanfic will now begin starting right now.**

* * *

The date was the twenty fourth of December and it was only three hours left until Christmas went totally global. All the toys had been finished about a week before the actual holiday itself and everyone at the North Pole was celebrating another successful year of toy crafting.

Yes, all the little children around the world that believed in North would receive their presents and keep their wonder of the world around them.

In which, that led to an early celebration which included Christmas feasts and happy drinking for everyone. Well, everyone but the elves were allowed to drink alcohol; lord knows what would happen if they did get their tiny hands on the stuff…

In spite of that, everyone was enjoying the peaceful time before North had to go deliver all his presents to all of his believers.

The party time was cut short however.

A door swung open to one of the many rooms of the workshop and a groaning creature stepped out into quiet of the empty shop.

Phil, slightly shaken up by alcohol intake, staggered within the workshop as his eyes caught sight of something that was not supposed to be on the one of the tables within the workshop.

As he walked closer to the dark object, the object proved to be a small child that couldn't be more than five years old.

The said child was wearing a dark dress with black gloves that made her hands seem like claws. One of the claws was fiddling around with deep purple cravat as her feet slowly kicked against the table she sat upon.

"I lost my heart, my home is the ocean". The young female sung with a rather sweet voice despite being alone and in the dark. "The waves underneath will soon be my home, I will fall asleep. I'll close my eyes and dream of days when I wasn't all alone".

The Yeti then took notice of the fact that that the child had taken an IPod from one of the many work stations and was listening to the music it had already programmed on it.

"All that I know is gone; take what is left of me now. All that I know is gone; take what is left of me. Fall deeper and deeper, the sirens are singing your songs. I'll miss my breath, there's no more left. I'll miss the sound of the wind at my back. The depths have a number, they call you by name. Fall asleep, Davy Jones calls you. So fall asleep, fall asleep and dream".

Silvery eyes then flashed right in the direction of the Yeti and a Hell Hound appeared from behind him. It was a quick and easy knockout for the black sandy beast.

"All that I know is gone; take what is left of me now. All that I know is gone; take what is left of me". Soul Black smirked to herself. "Fall deeper and deeper, the sirens are singing your songs".

After wrapping the earphones around the IPod, Soul jumped down from the sturdy table and casually advanced towards the door to the main global room and whispered, "Don't fall asleep at the helm".

Without making a single sound, the Hell Hound easily dragged the unconscious body out of sight and then trotted its way back to the little girl. Being extremely large in comparison to her, the beast allowed her to climb onto its back and ride it like a person would ride a horse.

"We only have less than three hours to get this done, cur". Soul firmly stated to the sandy, dark wolf. "So let's just get this over with already".

Both figures crept into the festival part of the workshop and locked the door from the inside as the where now on the inside. After all this was a part of Pitch's plan and this was only a small part of Soul's mission that he had given her to do.

Her mission?

Insure that no one can escape from the global room.

By what means?

By any means necessary and to any extreme.

With the use of what exactly?

All the Night Mares and Hell Hounds that are at the Nightmare King's disposal.

Main concern, if any?

Insure that Pitch Black does not die.

* * *

Freshly splattered blood was slathered about the icy walls surrounding North's sleigh and his magical reindeer. The reindeer were left alive and not even harmed in the least bit, whereas all the Yetis that were in the room were beheaded by a long, slender scythe not but a short minute ago.

The Nightmare King approached the sleigh, which was filled with toys that were to be delivered in less than a few hours, and black shadows crawled underneath there and the beasts which were to pull it.

"I find it extremely unusual how North is not with here at the time being, seeing how it is his holiday and everything". Pitch said firmly as he folded his hands behind his back and smirked. "Thankfully that only makes my job easier".

The shadows then instantly wrapped around the reindeer and the sleigh and silently dragged them into the cold darkness below. They were not to be harmed but merely transported to the very center of the South Pole since that was the farthest location from the North Pole and North's workshop.

Pitch then turned to the doorway that led into the said workshop and his smirk only grew as a tiny figure opened the door up from the other side. Bloody claws gripped the doorknob before the released it and the figure jumped to the ground with ease.

"I take it that you have done what I have asked of you, Soul"? The Nightmare King questioned softly.

She smirked evilly, "The doors are locked on the inside and unlocked on the outside, like you told me to accomplish before anything else. No one will get into the workshop and most importantly no one will even get near North's little workroom where he is now, and even if they tried, Night Mares and Hell Hounds have been placed to attack them if they tried to fight back. In all it was truly a piece of cake for one such as myself".

He nodded slightly but his gaze then caught a glimpse of her hands. "Then what is with the crimson coloring that has drenched your gloves"?

She looked down at her hands and then back up her elder.

"A slight run-in with about five or so Yetis, give or take that many anyway. Hell Hounds were not even necessary; after all I said it was a piece of cake for me".

"Naturally," Pitch purred before walking over to her and gently picking her off of the ground.

"Are we going to kill North yet"? Soul asked him while being held close to his grey chest.

"We will have his head in time, Soul, but we must first have him experience total fear before he dies at the hands of King of Nightmares". He explained to her. "It is only natural that that must happen beforehand".

"What do you have planned for him, Pitch"?

"I will give you a little hint". The Nightmare King darkly spoke. "What is blue and white, hidden within darkness, and covered with nothing but red"?

The young child then maliciously grinned as she knew exactly what the answer was. The only question that remained was how the answer would alter the playing field's pieces.

* * *

**The chapter has now ended evilly, hence the evil cliffhanger.**

**Either way, the song that was sung by Soul was Don't Fall Asleep At the Helm by Sleeping With Sirens. **

**The only reason it appeared in the nineteenth chapter was as for the fact that I was listening to it the entire time I was writing it and it also got stuck in my head.**

**In spite of that, the next chapter will be posted up soon enough and then such an answer to Pitch's riddle be revealed, unless someone already knows it, of course.**


	20. Taking In Hell

**Sorry for late update but I had a case of extreme writer's block, so sorry!**

**Aside from that, there will be still be gory details within and throughout the next few chapters or so, including this one, so be warned and now you are warned.**

**With all of that said and done, now the twentieth chapter of this fanfic can finally begin.**

* * *

Inside of his own little workshop within his extremely large one, North couldn't help but feel excited about the fact that Christmas was merely two hours away. Of course, he would be leaving an extra thirty minutes beforehand just in case he forgets something or something on the sleigh has to be slightly adjusted.

With all of that in mind, he was dead certain that everything was set for his yearly run around the world. Hell, he even felt as if something was going to make this year's run extremely memorable than all the other years.

Grabbing his steel swords and hooking them to his beltline, the Guardian of Wonder went to take his leave from the room when he found that the door leading into the rest of the workshop was locked.

"Vhat is this…"?

Normally the door wasn't locked unless it was done so from the inside of his mini workshop, so this ultimately confused the seasonal figure.

In which, he tried turning the doorknob once again just to see if his mind was playing tricks on him.

The door did not budge a bit.

So then North tried pounding against the door and shouting for assistance like any sane person locked inside of any sort of room would do. However, no one was able to hear him above the seasonal, Christmas music blaring from inside the main section of the workshop.

After that swords then became the main option.

Half of the door was chopped into bits and pieces before North was finally able to get through to the other side. He sheathed his blades before a dark growl was heard from above his head.

Right after that, his blades came back out and the Guardian stood at the ready.

That same moment was also when North noticed it, the dead silence. He quickly looked around to see elves and Yetis that were supposed to be enjoying themselves, but he saw no one.

Hell, even the blaring, cheery Christmas music from the Yetis' and elves' partying had quieted down in a split moment as soon as he had gotten out the door. Everything having to do with sound was brought down to the point that it was quiet as the dead.

All of that was proven to be nothing but the truth until a weak moan echoed throughout the building.

The weak noise sounded like it was nearby, so, with his swords still held out in front, North slowly walked towards the globe room. Upon opening the door to the said room, his eyes caught the sight of something that he wouldn't be able to forget for a very long time.

"…Vhat kind of sick trick is this…"?

The image was now etched into his the depths of his mind before he could finally accept that this was really happening. Lying on the floor before him, Jack Frost was wearing a blindfold and was literally nailed to the cold floor below him.

"Jack"!? North sheathed his weapons and ran to the aide of his fellow winter Guardian.

Thick, steel nails were inserted all throughout Jack's arms and legs which punctured all the way through the flesh and into the wooden floor below. There wasn't even enough blood left inside the beaten teenager to be spilling out from the maliciously, grave wounds.

Quickly kneeling beside the immortal teenager, North pulled off the boy's blindfold and saw that someone or something had left claw marks beside his blue eyes. The eyes saw the Guardian and Jack gasped, "N- North…"?!

"Calm down," He tried to ease him. "Do not move unless you vant more blood to spill out".

When he went to pull the nails out from Frost's body, a gigantic, ebony cage from out of nowhere came and captured both of the winter figures.

"N… N- North…"?! Jack cried out at the tone below a whisper. "N… No… g- go… a- a… a- away…"!

"Jack, it's alright now," He tried to ease the boy but wanted to know what in the world was happening at the moment. "Ve are in a cage- I do not know vhy- but I vill get to the bottom of this"!

Above them, standing on top of the globe, two, dark figures watched as the Guardian of Wonder pulled the nails out of Jack Frost's body. One in particular seemed ultimately confused with what had just occurred.

"Why is there a bear cage on top of them, Soul? No forget that question; why is there a bear cage here in general"?

She grinned sheepishly, "I… um, well I thought you were going to place a polar bear in with North and Jack, so then it would attack them".

Apparently, Soul was, once again, acting like the silly, unserious, five year old she was supposed to be and not the unmerciful killing machine that both evils, the Nightmare King and the Fearling within her, had taught her to be.

"Now tell me, how on earth did you acquire such an idea"? The Nightmare King felt the need to slap his forehead but resisted the urge to do so.

"You said it was something white and blue that was hidden in darkness, so of course I thought about Frost when you said that". Soul explained to him. "Although, I also thought that you meant something like a polar bear when you added in the part about it having blood all over it. Those types of bears do happen to live in winter climates and eat meat. Really I just blame the fact that you were not being blunt with me".

He simply stared right at the grey skinned, silvery eyed child for the means of about ten straight seconds before he shook his head and then motioned for her to go down to where North and Jack where.

She didn't ask questions, much to his thanks, and did as she was told.

Both winter Guardians looked to the little girl however, only one looked to her with ultimate fear coursing through them.

"G- Get… a- away… f- f… from… m- me"! Jack gasped even though he had meant to shriek. "M- Mon… M- Monster…"!

Soul smirked maliciously, "Who are you talking to Jack? Do you mean little, old me? If you do mean me then-" A Hell Hound came into the cage with its ebony teeth bared and ready to snap down at any flesh in its grasp. "I'd have to agree with you, a hundred percent"!

With a snap of her fingers, she made it so that the hound from hell pounced upon Jack to end his life. Too bad North had to go and rip open the hound's sandy throat which caused black blood to be spilled everywhere.

With his swords now covered in the blood of the Fearling, North's eyes settled upon Soul with nothing but pure hatred burning throughout them. "You are so on naughty list, little girl"!

"Please…" She rolled her eyes and jumped onto the top of their cage. "Now tell me, North, what do you happen to be afraid of at the time being"?

No answer came from him.

"Is it the fear of never being able to fully heal Jack's physical and mental wounds"? Soul questioned him as her hands folded behind her back. "Maybe you're afraid to learn what has happened to some of your little workers".

"M- M… Make… it… s- stop…"! Jack pleaded with weak, flowing tears dancing down his cheeks. "P- P… Please…"!

Either way, Soul continued to take her sweet time talking to North. "No, no, the greatest fear you have at the time being is something much more intriguing. I would have to say it's the fear of not being able to stop the Nightmare King and I from killing both of you and ultimately altering the balance of the world".

"I was sensing the same fear," The Nightmare King, himself, said upon entering the spotlight in front of the ebony cage.

Pitch took in the sight of both winter Guardians locked inside the same cage. "Nice work, sweetheart". He smirked.

She gave a little bow, "I try my best to torture the weak". She then jumped down from the cage and walked beside the King of Fearlings.

"Now, now, where do I begin"? Pitch announced with his words being laced with evil intent. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see the two winter Guardians like this". His signature, black scythe appeared within his hands and his smirk only grew wider.

North's eyes widened with fear as Jack began to curl himself into a ball.

"You both look terrible".

* * *

**This chapter is now completed and I apologize once again for the late update with this one.**

**The next one will be posted up soon enough, I promise that, and will not be as late as this one had been.**

**So until the next posted chapter will the fanfic continue.**


	21. Till Kingdom Come

**The story now leads into the twenty-first chapter to be added into it so far.**

**The same warnings from the last chapter still apply to this one.**

**And with all of that said and done, the story can now pick back up.**

* * *

For the first time in centuries, the Nightmare King allowed his malicious Night Mares to run free and spread fear to their heart's delight. Of course, they were to share the fear between North and Jack Frost, and the horses went crazy with joy when they learned when they were their victims.

Pitch Black was deeply going to enjoy each and every scream of terror that tore out from their throats. After all, he had waited for a moment like this for a very, very long time.

None of the other Guardians were going to show up and ruin this for him. No carefree children would be around to change his Night Mares back into sweet, little dreams. Everything was going well and he wanted to live in the moment while he could.

Soon enough, both Guardians would be murdered and that would be the end of his fun and the end of his plan. Right after that he would use the power he had collected from North and Jack and then use that power to stop Soul from turning into a total Fearling.

Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't enjoy this time anyway.

At the time being, it was only thirty minutes away from Christmas Day and so far everything was ruined. The reindeer and the sleigh full of toys were located somewhere in the South Pole. Several Yetis were beheaded and possibly an elf or two. Then North was trapped in a cage of nightmare sand with Night Mares and Hell Hounds beating, biting, whipping and practically killing him. Although, the killing of the said Guardian was left for the Nightmare King to do and the Nightmare King only.

Yep, nothing was ready for the children to experience the wondrous joy of Christmas this year.

Pitch Black chuckled darkly as a Hell Hound bit into North's shoulder and blood was smeared all over his neck. "Soul, what is your take on this"? He asked her as the hound had its head torn off by the Guardian.

Silence.

"Soul"?

He looked around only to find that his little, half Fearling wasn't in the room. Of course, he the sensed that she was in the room next to this one.

Looking back to his Night Mares and Hell Hound, Pitch nodded lightly as he knew they would continue taking the Guardians' life-force out of them. Knowing that, he walked into the next room and saw Soul sitting in the middle of the toy-filled area with an IPod in her hands.

"When the days are cold, and the cards all fold". Soul deeply sighed as she sang along with the lyrics. "And the saints we see are all made of gold. When your dreams all fail, and the ones we hail are the worst of all, and the blood's run stale. I want to hide the truth, I want to shelter you, but with the beast inside there's nowhere we can hide. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come".

Pitch leaned against the doorframe as his favorite Night Mare, Onyx, came trotting up to him and was reeling its head back to the other room. Instantly, he held a finger up to his lips and then looked back to Soul.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. When the curtain's call, is the last of all. When the lights fade out, all the sinners crawl. So they dug your grave, and the masquerade will come calling out at the mess you made".

She sighed once more before continuing. "Don't want to let you down, but I am hell bound, though this is all for you. Don't want to hide the truth. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come. When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide-"

The Nightmare King approached her and laid a hand upon her shoulder. She took her earphones out and stopped the song before glancing up at him. "Ah, um, sorry but I just needed to clear my head real quick".

"_**Sir, she is lying".**_Onyx spoke to the Nightmare King. _**"I am hearing a fellow Fearling screaming its lungs out from inside of her head. It also wishes to join in with the beating of North and Jack Frost".**_

Pitch nodded in agreement with the black horse but he still needed to hear Soul say this for herself.

"I'm not mad that you came out here, really I enjoyed listening to your cute, little voice, but I only have one question. Were you drowning your head with music only to drown out the Fearling that is ranting within your mind"?

Soul tensed up and her hands tightly gripped around the IPod. "It… it tells me to slaughter them in ways… in ways that you have never taught me. Horrible fashions that… that truly frighten me". She looked up to Pitch with teary eyes. "I'm tired of having this… this shadow telling me what to do when I know what I must do".

"It will never bother you again after tonight, dearest Soul". He looked down upon her with small, comforting smile. "That much I can assure you will happen".

She then tore her gaze away from him and muttered, "You still won't tell me exactly how this plan of yours will end. I... I just don't know what will happen and I don't want anything that mustn't happen to occur. Being afraid of the unknown… That much I can be assured of".

When it seemed like Pitch was going to say something back to that remark, Onyx deeply neighed and reeled its head towards the globe room.

"_**Did you forget something, Nightmare King? Perhaps something related to the fact that we are about to defeat Jack Frost and North at the same time"?**_

Pitch sighed before asking, "Soul, will you come join us in our hour of triumph? After all, one of the major reasons that this moment is happening is because of you, so it seems only natural that you join in".

"…Alright," She sighed. "However, after that you will tell me what the ending of the plan is so that I won't have to worry".

"I will do better than that," Pitch told her. "I will be able to show you right after one of those Guardians is eliminated and left to rot within the very bottomless pits of hell".

The little girl blinked, "Well that fact doesn't freak the crap out of me… but sure". She jumped up from where she sat and grasped Pitch's grey hand. "Let's just get this over with already, Mr. Boogeyman".

"You're still scared"? He asked her as they walked into the globe room.

"Yeah," Soul nodded and then glared Jack Frost and North who had given up on all they hope they had of getting out of this situation. "However, once they die so will my worries".

Slowly nightmare sand wrapped around both Guardian's arms and legs before it forced their heads to look up at the dark figures standing before them.

The once happy and wondrous protectors were now beaten to the point that each and every corner of their bodies was a deep, concerning purple. Hell, if their bones weren't broken before or during the Night Mare and Hell Hound attack, the bones were certainly reduced to mere splinters now.

"Here you go, Soul". Pitch said to her as he laid a tiny dagger into her hands.

Jack's eyes widened and he began to struggle to free himself from his bindings.

The Nightmare King only smirked as he saw such fear escape the teenage immortal. "Looks like Frost remembers what this weapon was used for". With the wave of his hand the cage door opened up. "Go on Soul, show me how well you can slit open a winter Guardian's throat".

"N- No…"! Jack cried out for some kind of mercy. "S- S… Stop… S- Soul… P… Please"!

She looked up towards the Nightmare King and then at the dagger in her little hands. "Sorry Jack… but if killing you is what my father wishes…" Her eyes became that of a golden ember and the weapon quickly approached Frost's chest. _**"Then it is time for you to die, Guardian"!**_

Multiple emotions raced throughout everyone at that moment.

Pitch felt a sense of pride and joy due to the fact that Soul acknowledged him as her father and she was about to kill a major thorn in his side.

North experience what being useless was since he couldn't do anything but watch as Jack died before his very eyes.

Jack underwent a sense of death, himself, coming for him, and right after that a sudden surge of power come to him. As he felt that, Soul suddenly went from feeling all powerful to instantly to feeling very, very cold.

The Nightmare King's jaw dropped as he went to shout her name for her to hear, but one second passed and it was too late for Soul to hear anyone or anything.

Soul collapsed on the ground and carefully glanced down to see something that insured that she wouldn't be able to ever see anything else ever again. Her head fell to the wooden floor as the last thing she knew was a cold puddle of crimson engulfing her entire body.

No source of light was around by that point.

In which, it was ultimately dark…

Soul was scared…

There was no one around to hear her cries and there was no light to bring comfort to her.

No…

Everything didn't go pitch black, but instead everything went cold like Jack Frost.

* * *

**So… yeah that is how this chapter has been ended. **

**So please don't try to hunt me down just yet as for the fact another chapter must be posted up so that this one has something to flow into. This is NOT the ending, people.**

**By the way the song that Soul was singing was Demons by Imagine Dragons if anyone would like to know.**

**With that said and done, I must now start writing the next piece of the story. Till next time!**


	22. Reciting Past Lives

**Now said for the twenty-second chapter of this story, this is the continuation from the last chapter of this fanfic into the newest piece of writing to be added in so far.**

**Also, the same warnings still apply.**

* * *

**Starting Off With Soul's Point Of View:**

_The darkness went away after what seemed like an eternity and it cleared to show a bright, sunny day. A nice day outside a nice house with a nice family playing outside their home._

_No…_

_This wasn't any family…_

"_W… what is going on…"? I yawned as it felt like I had been sleeping for a little while. "Pitch…"? I rubbed my eyes and found that the sight of the people before me was no illusion of any kind but it also wasn't present time._

_So I might've felt like this entire moment was total déjà vu but hell, I stepped out anyway and from within the shadows of a hedge that was next to the household. I had no idea what was going on but I also felt like I needed to go near those people, so I then ended up walking closer to the family of three._

_Not like I had anything else better to do, or any idea where I was for that matter, but something really drawled me there._

_However, as I stepped closer to them, they didn't see or hear me when I called out to them. Apparently I was something of a spirit at the moment and that meant that I could just watch them to see what would happen, so I did just that._

_The mother, of average height and weight, had dark, creamy brown hair that fell down her back in swaying curls. Comforting emerald eyes that seemed as if they could hypnotize you if you stared into them long enough. She also had snow white skin that didn't seem at all fazed by the fact that it was in direct sunlight._

_The father, a man seeming to be a giant at a height of almost seven and a half feet tall, but at least he had a healthy weight for one such as his size. Blood red hair that was slicked back so that its insane coloring didn't take away from his shadow swirled, brown eyes. His skin was slightly tanner than his wife's skin._

_That left their little daughter, and as I laid my silvery eyes upon her, I gasped out in shock. _

_The girl looked exactly like me! The same brown hair that's end ended with one inch of it being blood red! Hell, even the pale skin coloring and the very tiny height were the same as mine!_

_Although…_

_She wasn't exactly me... Meaning that my body's coloring was now an ashy grey whereas hers was like freshly fallen snow. My eyes were sliver and hers were brown like her father's._

_I shook my head, "No… we are the same person, but… but what happened…"? I looked her over and watched as she played catch with a soft, stuffed animal with her mommy and daddy- our mommy and daddy. _

_This was way too confusing now, but it then suddenly hit me like a gun bullet through the heart. This wasn't real life but it was also occurring right before my eyes._

"_Perhaps it is something of a memory…"! I frowned as I soon felt horrified as for the fact that I knew what was about to occur right before my eyes._

_Their game of catch ended with the two year old version of me refused to let go her stuffed animal. Her mother gently picked her off of the ground and carefully held her within her arms._

"_I think Lilith had a nice, little playtime," Mother grinned happily. "Haven't you, sweetie"?_

_The corners of my lips jerked downward and I shrieked out, "L- Lilith… wh- what kind of name is that!? Hell, I had an actual name at one point; why did no one tell me this"!?_

_However, no one heard me and my old version only laughed and said, "Mama"! After that she buried her face into her mother's shoulder and continued to giggle with joy._

_I gritted my teeth and held back a few tears. I mean I actually had a home, a family, even a name, but on the other hand, I wasn't smarter than a teenager at this point in my life. So… what happened to cause such a change in my intellect and behavior? No… what happened to everything in general?_

"_Well I think that's enough for right now," My old father smiled. "Anyone for lunch"? He asked as he walked through the backdoor and into the kitchen._

_Mother set my younger self down and walked into the kitchen with my father. "Honey, you'll need help getting everything out"._

_He rolled his eyes, "I'm sure I can manage. You just watch Lilith, dear"._

_One second later my old mom poked her head through the backdoor and watched as her daughter just continued to laugh and play by herself. _

"_She's fine right now". Mother stated before she shut the backdoor._

"_No…" I cried out to them. "No! Get out of there, you two! You're both going to die if you don't"! Yes, I knew they wouldn't do as I said but I felt the need to try and say something to them._

_My younger self then caught sight of something and froze where she stood and began to whimper in fear. I looked at the same direction and found myself staring right into the blazing, golden eyes of a shadowy Fearling. It was not shaped but it looked to be something of a blob of darkness, but sure enough it was baring its razor sharp teeth right in the direct of my younger self._

"_Stay back," I barked at the creature. "Leave this place, miserable cur"!_

_Sure enough it didn't listen to me, instead it extended two, boney arms and took told of the girl, of me. Screaming like hell, the girl kicked and punched the unearthly beast as it dragged her closer and closer towards its flesh ripping jaws. _

_The point came when it seemed as if she was going to be eaten but as she came right in front of the Fearling, it simply entered into her body by literally fazing into her like a shadow. Her eyes turned silvery instead of their natural brown and the child was no longer the same child._

"_**Finally,"**__ The beast spoke with my voice. __**"A young vessel worth deceiving those pathetic Guardians! With the Nightmare King's approval of course"! **__It laughed out loud._

"_What. The. Hell."? I hissed as I gritted my teeth. "Get out of my body, you scum"! I ranted with pure rage._

_Yes, I loved living my life with Pitch Black but I did have a life before him. Seeing how it was taken away by just one Fearling was more than enough to send me a bit over the edge. Hell, it even had a damn plan of deception that was put into action before Pitch even knew about any of it._

_Then at that same moment that I heard something like a car crash into the front of the household. _

_However, I would never be able to see since it then blew up the front of the house and set the back on fire._

_I stepped away from the half Fearling me and ran to the window that showed into the kitchen. My old parents were gagging in a smoke filled room as their faces were cut up from broken glass that must've shattered when the car blew up._

"_Mother, father," I cried out to them. __"No, no, no, please no"! __My knees fell to the ground as my head was still held up with tears streaming down my cheeks, as much as it hurt me, I had to see all of through._

_The younger version of me came walking towards the window and smirked evilly as she watched the parents began to experience what being roasted alive was like._

_My father called out to her and tried explaining that everything would be alright. She merely snapped her fingers and a trail of nightmare sand crept into the burning household. The sand then brought down several burning pieces of wood down upon the man and his shouts then died out as he, himself, died._

"_NO"! I screamed as tears began to race down my face. _

_In spite of that, the use of its power exhausted the Fearling and in return exhausted me. Stepping back from the burning building, my old self collapsed on the grass as my old self started to regain power over the shadowy beast._

_Although, she only began to cry out in pain and misery as it soon sank in that her- no our- mommy and daddy were dead and they were not coming back. _

"_I… I have had enough…"! I sobbed. "Please… something… someone stop this torture"! _

_Then just like that, everything started to fade away as darkness once again set into my vision. It was no longer my memory but my death. _

_True, I remembered Jack Frost stabbing me right through the gut with an ice sword, but now nothing could be done to fix what has happened. _

_Then why was this memory brought to me?_

_Maybe due to the fact that I needed to see what I how it all started. Even then, I still didn't need to see how my life suddenly went from an actual life to a living hell._

_I continued to sob within the darkness of wherever before asking one thing and one thing only. "Pitch… p- please… save me"!_

* * *

**The end of this chapter has come! And if truth be told, yes this was somewhat of a filler chapter, but only as for the fact that I thought it was sort of needed. To see Soul see her old life that is.**

**So the next chapter will be picking up from where she died in actual life. Meaning you will be able to get Pitch Black's point of view on her death… so yeah Jack and North… one of them is going to die next chapter.**

**So until the next piece of writing posted up then!**


	23. Blades Come And Beckon

**This is the continuation for this story and it will now pick up from where chapter twenty one left off.**

**One last thing: the same warnings still apply.**

**On with the story already!**

* * *

Nothing…

Yep, nothing at all…

Except for nothing but silence was heard for what seemed like a few eternities.

No one dared to make any moment or even make the smallest of sounds, and if they did it meant almost certain death. Truth be told, this was slightly need so that everyone would be able to deal with their individual stages of shock.

North was horrified that Jack Frost had actually managed to kill a child. Well, Soul was surely something else other than a child but she still looked like one and slightly acted like one, therefore that made her a child.

Jack, himself, had fainted after he had come to realize that he had murdered the little girl with an icy sword right through the gut being her way of death. He blinked as he took in the sight of the color leaving her eyes and blood trickling down from the corners of her lips before he actually fainted however.

The Nightmare King, however, was on a completely different level than that of the two winter Guardians.

"…Soul…"!? He muttered with his voice beginning to crack in fear of her demise.

Pitch had lifted the little girl off of the floor and laid her down outside of the cage. After gently setting her down, he then tried to do everything and anything he could do to try and get her pulse started back up.

However, after relentlessly trying to get her heart beating once more, Pitch had to face the cold facts. Worst of all, he had to realize that his fear about Soul getting hurt was more than just her getting hurt for trying to help the Nightmare King.

Soul was dead.

Plain, harsh and simple.

Jack Frost had just murdered her without a second thought.

There was nothing he could do- NO! There was plenty of things he could do and the first thing on his list was to slaughter the mother living hell out of Frost.

Gently, he laid her head down upon a patch of nightmare sand before wiping an almost invisible tear from his right eye. Really he just wanted to get his revenge done and over with before he broke down in tears in front of his enemies.

In which, that is why the very next second, he got to his feet and pulled out his signature scythe.

"You…" The Nightmare King jerked his head around and his eyes narrowed down upon Jack who was still asleep. "…Do you realize what you have done…"?

North snapped out of his shock and knew right away what Pitch was planning to do with that weapon of his. "Pitch… please you must be settling down now! Jack did not mean to do vhat he did"!

He ignored the beaten toymaker and continued on with his words as each one of them was laced with nothing but pure malice.

"You just… just killed Soul… someone who I held close to my non-beating heart. No… someone who was the closest thing to a… a family that I have longed for, and I have longed for one of those for a very long time".

"Pitch! Please you must think rationally vith vhat you plan to do! You know vhat kind of danger it vould bring upon the vorld"!

Still ignoring North, Pitch walked right up to Jack and pinned him up against the wall of the ebony cage.

Then with one snap of his fingers, the winter spirit woke up from whatever nightmare he was experiencing to find that he was about to be murdered by the Nightmare King.

Instantaneously, Jack's crystal blue eyes widened with pure fear as his entire body began to tremble in a weak fashion. Truly, if he could've said anything he would've screamed it or cried it out by this point.

"Listen to me…" Pitch Black gritted his teeth in rage as Frost started to look away. "Goddammit, I said listen to me"! Right away, Jack returned eye contact with him. "Now… Answer me, boy, do you know what you have taken away from me? I want to hear you say it"!

The teenager immortal merely choked out a few whines and whimpers as he was violently shaken back and forth along the cage wall while a scythe was dangled in front of his face.

"You murdered her"! He bellowed out at Jack. "You damn bastard! Why did you have to go and kill her?! You're a Guardian and you murder the only person in the world that I could come to call a family member! Soul Black is dead because of what you have done"!

Without any mercy, he threw Jack down upon the cold cage floor and clenched his free hand into a tight fist. As much hatred he had coursing throughout his veins at the time being, he also had to choke back tears and sobs that were meant for Soul.

Still, those would come right after this business was taken care of.

The black scythe then double in its size as nightmare sand slowly coiled around Jack's bruised neck and forced him to look up at Pitch.

"Now, you are going to play victim to this act of evil, Jack Frost". The Nightmare King stated firmly and evilly. "All I want you to do is watch the very tip of my dark blade…"

The scythe began to swing closer and closer towards beaten flesh.

"Watch very carefully…"

Jack's cries died in his voice as the blade came swinging right in front of its victim's face.

"Now… die…"

The blade went right through the soft flesh of a beaten neck as the life of its victim was instantly taken away. Not even a low whine was heard as his life was taken away.

However…

Poor, beaten Jack Frost only watched as blood poured from the other side of the ebony cage.

"Do you feel fear…"? Pitch Black asked him as a malicious smirk raced across half of his face. "Do you feel dead… Jack"?

* * *

**Dun dun Duuuunnn!**

**Heh, yeah so I am pretty sure that everyone knows who died, right?**

**If not then look back to see who was on the other side of the cage.**

**Either way, the next chapter will be posted up soon enough and now I must make sure of that by getting started with the twenty forth piece to be added into the story.**

**Till next time, people!**


	24. It Sucks Waking The Dead

**The story now continues with all the same warnings from the past chapter still applied to this newest chapter to be added in so far.**

* * *

_**Argh…**_

_**Oh damn…**_

_**What the hell…?**_

_**What is this… this feeling?**_

A tiny figure squirmed in irritation before it became used to such a feeling that only seconds ago caused it slight pain. After that the rest of the senses slowly began to work once again with hearing being the second to come into play.

_**Why is there a racing heart nearby?**_

Upon opening its golden eyes to see where it was, it saw something of a giant globe turning above its head. Turning its head, it saw blood splattered all about the floor and on a cage.

_**Wait a second…**_

The golden eyes narrowed and focused to see a certain, dark spirit standing above a certain, winter spirit.

_**M- Master…! Oh damn, I didn't take full control over this little girl in time! He has started a plan and seems as if he is about to end it!**_

Using the limbs from its vessel, the Fearling stood up only to feel a liquid substance trickle out from its body.

_**Blood? But how…?**_

_**Oh… right… Soul had gotten herself killed by Jack Frost. **_

_**Oh well, I doubted that she would have made it to this point anyway. Now it's my body now.**_

Slightly staggering, the Fearling walked next to the Nightmare King and tugged at his black robe. Without a second's hesitation, Pitch scowled before turning around to look down at whatever was preventing him from enjoying his moment of glorious triumph.

Instantly, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened in total shock. "Soul?! Y- You're alive"!?

"_**More than alive," **_The Fearling spoke with Soul's voice.

Pitch then kneeled down and placed his hands upon her shoulders as a smile quickly took up his face. "You're alive"! He suddenly pulled her into a sudden embrace. "Soul, you're living"!

The Fearling frowned and pulled away from him as he embraced its new body. _**"Master… Please do not hug me in front of the enemy, besides my wound will open up onto you if you hug me".**_

Those words instantly caught his attention as his mind finally came up to date with how her voice was laced with traces of fear within each and every word.

The Nightmare King stopped, all his previous intentions were put at a full on halt as every thought at the moment was asking how was Soul alive and if this was even Soul anymore.

His thoughts were proven to be needless as the creature within Soul perfectly stated, _**"Master, Soul is dead. She has been dead for a couple of minutes now, and when she died it gave me a perfect chance to escape her mind and take up her old, dead flesh as my own".**_

"No…" He shook his head and stepped back further into the cage. "…Even if you are in her body, I… I never would've thought that one of you would-" Pitch was then cut off by the little beast.

"_**Would be able to rise above your little control over your Fearlings' powers"? **_It finished for him. _**"I only ever took up residence in this body so that I would be able to become something more than a mild manner shadow, Master. That and I wanted to aide you in your quest to defeating these Guardians. Besides, isn't all you ever longed for a family member who would live forever? I am that person who you have been looking for".**_

The Nightmare King's eyes flared in anger as he stood up to his full height. "You are not Soul, plain and simple. You are a creature that has been tainted into being a nightmare instead of a sweet, little dream! However, you are certainly acting like one hell of a nightmare"!

The Fearling shook its head back and forth. _**"Shame… man what a huge shame it is".**_

Pitch narrowed his eyes at the tiny figure. "What exactly is a shame"?

"_**It's just that it is a shame I have to kill you now"! **_It stated perfectly clear for both Jack Frost and Pitch Black to hear.

Right away, Jack eyed the Nightmare King as Pitch instantly threw his head back and laughed at such a statement from such a creature. It took the time span of about two or three minutes before Pitch actually stopped laughing and returned his gaze back to the little Fearling.

"Heh… you must be joking," He smirked. "Something of my creation cannot murder me".

"_**And yet I sense your fear and I want to take it and shove in down that cold, grey throat of yours. Seriously, Master, others have turned against you before and I certainly won't be the last to do such an act".**_

Pitch's thoughts went back to when his "loyal" Night Mares began to feast off his fear and they nearly killed him doing so. With that in mind, what on earth could this one Fearling do with its own powers of fear?

"_**Is- is that doubt I feel coming from you, Master"? **_It questioned him sarcastically.

He scowled and pulled out his signature scythe once more. "Enough talk,"

"_**Fine with me, I just want to see how fast I can kick your ass out the window before you actually lay a hit on me".**_

"No," Pitch hissed as his glare increased. "I'll end you right here, right now. Then, I don't care what it take, I will ensure that Soul comes back to life".

"_**Are you going to do that before or after Jack Frost manages to contact the other Guardians with that button looking thingy near that huge globe in the center of the room"?**_

Pitch turned his head around to find that the winter spirit had actually managed to bring himself to his feet and stagger to the control station where the lights were monitored and the Guardians' little signal could be activated. Breathing heavily, Jack put all of his energy into pushing the button down before he fell to the floor.

Once he had done that, multicolored light sprung into the sky and instantly began to race to the ends of the earth in order for the others to receive its distress call.

"Oh goody," The Nightmare King muttered as he turned his head back around to face the little Fearling. "Guess who's coming for a visit". He sighed bitterly and hatefully.

* * *

**Thank something! This chapter is finally completed! Seriously… I had depressing writer's block with this chapter and when writer's block is depressing, it is fucking depressing!**

**Either way it's over now and now I must start writing the next addition to this story before the blockage comes back…**

**Wish me luck, people.**


	25. Rest In Unhappy Pieces

**Ok, ok so this is the continuation from the last chapter of this here fanfic into the newest chapter to be added in the continuation of this story so far. **

**Warning: The same warning still apply to this chapter as they applied and apply to the rest before and after this one.**

**So with all of that said and done, we can finally get onto the said piece of writing at long last.**

* * *

Aches and pains racked Jack Frost's entire body as old wounds desperately pleaded for him to stop squirming and lie still so that they could heal up. Still, no matter how much every inch of his body hurt at the time being, Jack knew all too well that everything outside of his mind was going to hell, and when everything was going to hell so would the people.

Slightly having an actual hard time trying to open his blue eyes, Frost felt a cross between feeling purely pathetic and experiencing extreme nightmares.

At the current time being millions, if not billions, of lights began to go out in an instant. He wasn't stupid, he knew why they were going out.

Seriously, right now each and every one of those children were waking up from their sweet slumber. They sprung out of their bed and raced to the room where their Christmas tree was located. With bright eyes they rushed into the room only to find that 'Santa' did not come to their household. The wonder in the children's eyes faded until only color was left, but then a new substance instantly replaced the wonder.

The children's tears that is.

Oh yes, how sad and mentally scaring it would be for a child to wake up to see no presents underneath the dull tree. The cookies that were left out were now stale and the milk, which was also left out, was now spoiled and rotten.

Santa did not come into their house and leave any gifts or take any treats. It might seem like a little thing for adults, but to a child… heh, well let's just say it means everything to them.

Now they didn't have a single little drop of belief in Santa. Although, it would get most children thinking about others, other Guardians that is.

Was the Tooth Fairy real?

No…

Mommy or daddy only took the tooth and replaced it with cash while we were sleeping.

So did the Easter Bunny really exist?

Probably not…

People just placed random, painted eggs everywhere and our parents buy candy from the store and just say a rabbit brought it to us.

What about the Sandman, I mean is he real or is he fake?

Nope…

We don't even get to see him! All we do is wake up from whatever little fantasy our mind was experiencing that night and find eye crust all up in our eyes.

Jack Frost; seriously, is this guy just another legend or myth like the rest of them?

He most likely is due to the fact that no one has ever really seen him. He has a saying but other than that his name is completely unheard of.

And so, light after light, the children that were going to bed or already in bed were internally screaming in fear or actually screaming and crying in total fear. Only one sentence galloped throughout their train of thought.

_T- The Boogeyman… he's going to get m- me…_

Jack Frost felt the need to take a moment to cry about the fact that North was slaughtered right before his very eyes, which that death caused the children of the world to be without wonder and now they were slowly losing their belief in everyone else. Any other day of the year would have been a way better time to murder the Guardian of Wonder, but no, the Nightmare King wanted to kill him the night before Christmas.

Now there wasn't any magic in the air or lights on the trees. Little children across the entire globe were crying their eyes out. The Guardians were losing this battle of belief.

"N- Not… how I- I… t- thought… we'd g- go… out". Jack groaned as he managed to pull himself to his feet.

Right away, his gaze returned to Pitch Black and the Fearling Soul since the last time he checked, they were about to battle in a fight over who was the rightful Nightmare King.

They seemed to be standing in the same spots that he last saw them in before he blacked out and before he contacted the other Guardians.

Well, their stance didn't last long…

The Fearling within Soul's body lashed out at the Nightmare King with a whip of nightmare sand that instantly coiled its way around his grey neck. Pitch's hands instantly went to his neck in order to free it from the whip but it was too late by the time his hands latched onto the sandy rope.

One easy flick of the wrist and the Fearling sent Pitch flying into a glass window on the side of the room. Naturally, the glass shattered right as the force of the thrown body was pushed against it.

Jack's jaw dropped right then and there. "Y- You just… threw… P- Pitch… like he w- was… nothing".

The Fearling turned its head towards the winter spirit and smirked. _**"Against me, Pitch Black is nothing. Stay out of my way, boy, unless you want to die sooner than you have to".**_

The tiny, dark figure then jumped from the floor and through the window's frame only to leap down to the lower, outside part of the workshop since the only direction Pitch could have gone would be down.

"_Still," _The teenage immortal thought to himself. _"Even if that devilish shadow does manage to somehow beat him, I'm still going to have to die?! I don't get it! Where's my happy ending in this tainted dream"!? _He slowly staggered his way to the wall of the globe room only to plop down on the floor and rest his head against the wall. "W- When is… this g- going… to end"?

* * *

A face full of snow was the only thing that seemed to greet the Nightmare King as he reopened his eyes to find himself on the very edge of the building.

In which, after seeing where he was, he lifted his head from the snow pile only to feel aches and pains from where the fall had taken its total on him. After all, he fell about a good forty feet or so, but he was Pitch Black for Mim's sake. A fall, a loop around his neck and being forced through a window were not going to kill him.

Speaking of necks, its skin was now somewhat burned from where the sandy rope had wrapped around it and he had a fairly large piece of broken glass wedged into his left leg.

Truly, it really was nothing he couldn't recover from, however, if various wounds were added in addition with these ones… heh, well let's just say he wasn't going to let it go that far.

Right after he managed to bring himself to his feet, Pitch watched as a childlike figure dropped down about thirty-five or maybe forty feet to where he was. It then brought out two, small daggers and clutched each one tightly within the grip of its hands.

"_**Well I did say that I was going to throw you out a window, now did I"? **_The Fearling questioned him as its eyes never stopped looking right into his. _**"Really I had thought you would have seen that old, sly move coming, but I guess the old, grey dog has seen better days, much better days before". **_It titled its head to the side and smirked with the ending of its sentence before its golden eyes widened in shock.

The Nightmare King had sent three arrows directly at the Fearling. Two missed as they were quickly dodged but the third one managed to cut alongside the skin of the top of its right arm.

"_**Bastard…"! **_It hissed before dodging his scythe as it was swung in its direction.

Jumping onto the handle of the weapon, the Fearling ran along the top of it and managed to cut into Pitch's forehead with one of its daggers. The cut wasn't deep enough to cause any real damage but that was the least of the shadowy creature's problems. Pitch grabbed its hand and threw the tiny figure to the ground, then bring his scythe right down upon its gut.

However, instead of squirming in pain like it was supposed to, the Fearling merely smirked and tossed the weapon to the other side of the building. Before Pitch could come to form another weapon, it sent an arrow of its own. Without a doubt it would've pierced his heart if he hadn't moved at the last possible second, however, his move had caused it to easily slide right into his right shoulder.

"Gaah," He raised a hand to his shoulder and felt as blood instantly began to trickle down onto his chest. "You'll pay for that"!

The shadowy being somewhat laughed at his pain and said, _**"If you wish to kill me that's fine, but you will ultimately destroy Soul's body. So tell me, sire, are you willing to make that decision-"**_

A grey fist connected to its jaw and caused the childlike Fearling tumbling off the edge of the building.

"You can thank Sanderson for teaching me how to deliver a punch to my enemies". He stated before he peered over the edge and saw that the little beast had dug its nails into the stone.

"_**That's cheating"! **_It hissed out to him.

Pitch frowned, "I'm a villain; what do you expect me to do"?

"Got that right, mate". A voice from behind suddenly agreed with him.

The Nightmare King didn't even need to turn his head to know who stood behind him. "Aster, it's been a little while. Tell me, what is being the last of your species feel like"? He questioned in a dark tone.

The Pooka didn't answer as he simply stood back as he allowed a giant mountain of golden sand to fall down upon Pitch. Strangely enough it was shaped to be something of a fist as it collided with him. Once the sand settled down, it turned into chains and those chains were coiled all around Pitch's body. The more the Nightmare King struggled to free himself from the dream sand, the more the sand tightened its grip around his body.

The Sandman dropped down to the level were Bunny and the now captured King stood. Jack Frost hitched a ride down with Sandy as he wanted to see how the rest of this would play out.

"Oi, where's Tooth"? Bunny asked the golden, little man.

Symbols flew above his head and translated out to say, _"Tooth was dealing with collecting some teeth down in South America. I think she might've gotten a bit lost within its thick jungles, so there's a chance that she wouldn't have seen the lights. We're dealing with Pitch on our own"._

"Alright at least there won't be anyone to tell me when to punching". Bunny cracked his fingers and headed towards the Nightmare King.

"W- Wait…"! Jack stopped him. "The girl… w- where's… the girl"?

They took a quick look around before the Guardian of Hope held Pitch up in the air with his fist ready to beat him at any given moment. "Where's the little ankle biter, Pitch?! Tell us now"!

He winced at the pain coming from his wounds and hissed out, "That thing is **NOT** Soul and it isn't even human anymore"!

"Yeah right," Bunny snapped at him. "Just tell us where she is"!

Before Pitch could say anything, a miserable whimper came from the edge of the building and Sandy walked over towards the noise. An exclamation mark flew above his head as he quickly floated down and picked up the tiny child from where she dangled on the side of the building.

He gently sat her down before she instantly rushed right into Jack's arms the first second her feet touched the floor. Tears escaped her eyes as she sobbed loudly into Jack's blue and blood stained hoodie.

The Guardian of Hope and the Guardian of Dreams instantly turned their gaze back to the Nightmare King as fire burned within their eyes.

"You flipping threw her over the side of the workshop"!? Bunny roared in rage and feeling completely enraged. "What kind of sick beast are you!? Oh that's right, you are you"!

"That isn't Soul"! Pitch shouted right back at him. "Slit its throat right now before it-" His voice died instantly as his eyes widened in some kind of shock.

Bunny and Sandy looked back as their expressions quickly became blank with fear and utter confusion.

Pitch looked away as he felt no remorse for what had just occurred. He tried to warn them and tried to explain things to them, but they didn't choose to listen. His conscience was clear as far as he was concerned.

In spite of that, right now there laid two bloody children. One was covered with blood and veins as the other was losing blood and veins.

Jack Frost lost the color from his eyes as he gave a dying cough before walking towards the light.

Then Soul- no, then the Fearling within Soul's body whipped the blood from its face and stepped towards the other three with a twisted smirk on its face.

"_**Let's play for a little while, aye boys"?! **_Its laughter was stricken with malicious delight as it then launched itself at them.

* * *

**Alright a longer chapter just for you guys! The last ones weren't as long as I would've liked and I know as you guys would've liked so I made sure to make this one over 2,000 words.**

**Ok, so in case any of you had forgotten, Jack Frost will come back to life so please do not rally the people with pitchforks and come after me. **

**He will come back… but just in due time.**

**With all of that now said and done, I must now begin to work on the twenty sixth chapter for this story.**

**Until next time, my readers!**


	26. Will There Be Peace When We Are Done

**Hell, I am very sorry for not updating sooner but I had a family crisis over the last few days and I was not able to get away from it!**

**Either way, this is the continuation from the last chapter of this here story from where it last left off from. Also, the warnings still apply since this chapter gets a little bloody… (*evil smirk*)**

…**Oh and a hell lot of more cursing than normal.**

**So with all of that said and done, the story can now pick back up!**

* * *

E. Aster Bunny stood still as his muscles tensed up and he dropped the Nightmare King, who was still chained up, onto the floor. Little, but very lethal, claws were now slowly prying their way into his flesh as their owner merely laughed at the Pooka like a mini madman.

For a couple of seconds, Pitch Black actually wondered if the Guardian of Hope planned to stand there all day and allow the fearsome Fearling to kill him without any remorse.

Well the Guardian of Dreams was the one who actually managed to snap out of his shock and do something about the current situation. Two golden whips wrapped around the child's arms and legs before Sanderson threw the child to the other side of the roof they currently stood upon.

Throwing knives made of black sand were instantly tossed back at the Sandman in anger for ruining its kill. Widening his eyes, Sandy created a shield to block the three of them from any attacks that the child would send.

"What the hell are you doing"!? Pitch questioned as one of the knives pierced through the golden sand. "Kill the damn Fearling already, Sanderson, or at least set me free so I can slit its accursed neck"!

Sandy shook his head as he struggled to keep the shield in one piece. At least Bunny, who finally managed to snap out of his shock, sent a few explosive Easter eggs in the child's general direction.

Well somehow they were sent flying back into the shield and exploded right on impact with the golden sand.

The three figures were instantly blown off the building as the Fearling chased after them. It apparently wanted to ensure that they wouldn't get away and it definitely wanted to slaughter the mother living hell out of them, even if that meant piece by piece.

Bunny landed on the roof of another building twenty feet or so below their last location. He looked back to see that Sandy had taken it upon himself to handle the Nightmare King since both figures where on a cloud of golden sand. When his gaze was turned back to where he was, the Fearling dropped from out of nowhere and ran a long dagger alongside of his right leg.

Jumping back after being taken by surprise, Aster threw more exploding eggs at the tiny child. Like the last time, the eggs were caught by her nightmare sand hands and launched right back at the Pooka.

At least this time he managed to not get blown off of the building and or get himself blown up.

Quickly reached to grab his boomerangs, Bunny had no time to react when two nightmare whips wrapped themselves around his wrists. The Fearling pulled with a good amount of its strength when it successfully tossed Aster against the wall of the other building that was right beside of the roof they were on.

As soon as his body hit the wall, the tiny figure yanked at the ropes once more and pulled the Pooka but a foot right in front of it.

"_**Seriously, you Guardians better back the fuck up," **_It hissed with an unearthly voice that was twisted with purely evil intentions. _**"You better shut the fuck up! Cause it isn't any sort of damn mystery, I am doing what I fucking want and I am taking over this damn, fucking shit of a planet that you call Earth"! **_The Fearling ran its dagger on the outline of Aster's right leg which was already wounded. _**"**__**I won't be broken by the likes of you! I won't be beaten down by anyone! I won't be tortured for any of your goddamn reasons! I'll take any sort of pressure and then I'll turn it all around and send the pain right back at you damn Guardians"!**_

More ropes wrapped around Bunny's body to the point he was helplessly pinned to the ground. Of course, the black sand dug its way past his fur and into his flesh and kept going deeper and deeper with each squirm. Dark, seemingly velvet, blood oozed its way past the bindings only to become smeared everywhere when the Fearling walked on top of the Pooka.

"_**You will remember this night, rabbit". **_The creature promised as it drew a tiny object from its pocket.

"Argh…"! Aster glared at the little, grey child as it pulled out a substance that was surely meant to be used for nothing but torture at the current time being.

"_**Salt,"**_ It mumbled quietly before taking the lid off of its container and pouring a handful of it into its hand. The Fearling smirked wickedly as it tossed the salt all over Aster's wounds and laughed as it heard him cry out in pain. Then it merely dumped all of the salt onto his body and left him to roar out in pure anger and utter agony as it went to deal with the Guardian of Dreams and the Nightmare King.

The entire time of the battle, Sandy was half watching the battle and half thinking about a way to take the Fearling out of the child's body. He, of course, wanted to help Bunny out and wanted to save him from his agony he was currently experiencing, but someone had to watch the Nightmare King and make sure he didn't get away.

If Pitch actually escaped that would leave Aster and Sanderson to try and defeat the Fearling child. Even if they managed to kill the little thing without getting themselves getting killed, they would still have to chase after the Nightmare King. Anything could happen if Pitch escaped his bindings and Sandy, himself, feared that he would somehow turn more children into even more bloodthirsty Fearlings.

"_Dammit… I really need to keep a better watch over my dream sand". _Sandy took a second to think for himself before turning his attention back to Bunny. As soon as he turned his gaze back to the battle, he saw that the battle came to him.

"_**Hello, you bastard," **_The Fearling growled right in front of him.

A quick burst of black sand raced from its hands and onto its body's claw-like nails. They ripped right through Sandy's chest and the right one almost pierced his heart.

Instantly he dropped to his knees and placed a hand over his blood and began to cover his wounds up with sand. Wincing, Sandy turned his gaze back to the Nightmare King and seemed to plead for his assistance through his eyes. Pitch saw the plead and knew that he would be in the same boat if he didn't do something.

Well it took until the point the Fearling started to approach Pitch before he nodded to show Sandy that he would assist them.

"_**Well, hello there again, Mr. Pitchy. It seems as it is down to just little ol' me and little ol' you once again. Now the question, the question, the mother fucking question is how will I damn well kill you". **_

It leaned down to look him right in the ember eyes.

_**"I say we fucking plunge you into the damn deepest depths of your fucking damn memories until you remember how much pain coursed throughout your damn fuck of a body when my kind turned you! When the Fearlings turned you into what you fucking are! Then I might just have you relive the tender moment when I took over this piss poor kid's body and drove her life into an utter living, unforgiving, mother living, sweet damn fucking nightmare-"**_

Golden chains snapped into bits and pieces the very next second. The Nightmare King stood up to his full height and dug his fingernails into the Fearling's neck.

The Sandman hadn't done anything to break his hold on the sandy chains or even break them for that matter. Still, it looked like Pitch was close to his breaking point with the creature's taunts and threats, so it was not that much of a wonder when the Nightmare King gathered his rage into his strength.

Once his train of thought stopped and returned to the two figures beside of him, Sandy's golden eyes widened as he saw Pitch begin to squeeze the life out of the beast within the little beauty.

"I have a new game we can play…"! The King hissed through clenched teeth. "It is called the Game of Life...! Want to know what happens when your life runs out"!?

"_**I- I… d- die… r- r- right"!? **_The Fearling chuckled as it tried to gasp for oxygen at the same time. _**"S- sounds… f- fucking… fun! O- Ok…! L- Let's p- play"! **_One snap of its fingers was all it took for blood to fly up into the air and veins to fall to the ground.

Sandy silently gasped as he knew even if he could talk or yell his words would be silenced right then and there.

Right then and there, they just lost hope.

* * *

**Hopefully everyone comprehends what the last sentence is trying to say. If not then see who protected hope.**

**Still, I will try to have the next chapter posted up soon enough but with school starting and everything else happening right now, the next update might be as long as this one was.**

**Either way, I will write the next chapter and post it up when I can so that this story will be brought one step closer to its end.**


	27. Natural Born Phantasm

**For the twenty-seventh time, this is the continuation from where the last chapter of the story left off from.**

**Now onto the actual story itself.**

* * *

Black ropes were now vanishing into bits of sand as they were no longer needed to hold down their victim. He stopped squirming about one minute ago and headed into the light after that. To think that a snap of someone's fingers could cause such a death to happen in a mere second, it's almost unbelievable.

Well for the Nightmare King and the Sandman, it was so unbelievable that it naturally had to be real.

Yep, the fall of the Guardian of Hope it occurred without warning and came with plenty of bloodshed, or at least enough to cover most of the roof he died on anyway. Also, the current evil laughter coming from their current evil enemy was very reassuring that Bunnymund had kicked the bucket.

Momentarily putting Aster's demise to the side, Pitch Black turned his attention back to the laughing beast within his grip.

"_**Hehehe, oh wait just a dammed split second," **_It chuckled as narrowed its eyes at the Nightmare King. _**"You actually thought I was going to try and attack- or even fucking kill- you instead, or some damn thing like that?! Oh man what a royal fucking laugh! No, no, really that guy and his pathetic strength was nothing but a pure damn joke! Much like yourself if I say so myself"!**_

Instantaneously the already intense hold on its throat went into a full on death grip when the Nightmare King's second hand joined in on the strangling.

"_**A- Arghh…"! **_The Fearling squeaked out through quick gasps for much needed oxygen. _**"Y- Y- You're… f- f- fucking… k- killing… m- me… m- m- man…! S- S- Stop… it… P- PitccCCHHH"! **_It shrieked loudly as soon as the dark figure pulled a medium sized sword from his nightmare sand.

"Shut up, I plan on cutting you open and taking your worthless soul to my much more loyal Fearlings so that they can feast upon it"! The Nightmare King hissed with both promise and revenge laced throughout each one of his words.

Golden symbols appeared in the air as Sandy returned to his feet on the golden cloud.

"_W- Wait a second, Pitch! We, of course, must kill this creature but we must also save Soul's body"!_

"I plan on saving her body, Sanderson"! The dark figure stated firmly as he was easily unimpressed by Sandy's reasoning. "What are you planning to do?! Are you going to reach inside of its body and turn it into some sort of sweet dream?! Well that can't happen due to the fact that this is a deeply imbedded mental nightmare"!

"_**T- Tis… v- v- very… t- t- t- true," **_The beast hissed with an unnaturally twisted tone in its voice as a wicked grin began to form on its face. _**"I- I am… v- very… m- m- mental… S- S- Sanderson"!**_

Pitch turned his gaze back to the Fearling and ran his sword's edge on the skin right below its right eye.

It momentarily cried out in pain as a tiny sliver of blood instantly crept out from the flesh. It then clenched its jaws shut and tight since it then understood that no one wanted its input at the time being.

The Nightmare King had his nightmare sand coil its way around the little beast as he no longer wanted to hold such a creature within his grip. For insurance that the tiny figure wouldn't run off on them, Pitch had two of his Hell Hounds stand guard on the left and right side of the monstrosity.

So now placed on the sandy cloud, the Fearling viciously glared at the two figures before it as it wanted to rip out their guts and split their veins in half.

Several symbols flew up into the air as Sandy came upon an idea within his train of thought.

"_So since you happen to know how to get rid of this thing without mindless slaughtering, Pitch, I must ask you how do you plan to get rid Soul's body of that Fearling in a way that doesn't involve harsh, cold bloodshed"._

Pitch frowned as he read over Sandy's words and came to say, "I need a couple of minutes to harness all the belief power from North, Jack, and Bunnymund, but I need you to hold onto that little beast while I use almost all of that power to tear the shadowy being from Soul's body. I was not able to harness the power beforehand due to the fact that this little beast was trying to tear its claws right through my face".

"_Wait, you're just going to use the power to plunge the world back into the Dark Ages aren't you!? Pitch, I won't allow you to do anything with that power but kill this Fearling, understand"!?_

The Nightmare King felt something within the depths of his mind snap but it wasn't anything having to do with anger or rage. No, no, it was something that actually made Pitch feel hurt but not in the way that his was physically injured. He took in a deep breath of air and looked down at the golden figure.

"Oh I understand alright, I understand that after everything that has happened today, and even before today, you still don't trust me to do the right thing when the right thing is my last option. Sanderson, I happen to know that you heard a certain story from Manny. The story was about a time when there was no Pitch Black. There was a man who was a hero and kept evil at bay for the longest of times. Well, I can only come to say that I hope you know that there is still some good left in that man, and who knows, maybe that is the reason that my heart still beats sometimes".

The Sandman simply nodded and a few symbols then appeared above his head. _"Please just use the power for good, Kozmotis"._

"I... no…" The dark figure shook his head. "He will try to do so".

Simply nodding at Pitch's promise, Sanderson then walked over to the childlike Fearling and firmly held its arms behind its back.

"_**Are you really to let him go through with this shit, Sandman"? **_It growled with a sneering tone laced within its words. _**"For Mim's sake, Pitch Black is the fucking Nightmare King and you are really just going to let him take in a hell bunch of power and expect him to use it for a fucking good purpose? Seriously Sandy, he's just going to turn against you and stab you right through your golden, little, fucking heart".**_

Sanderson narrowed his eyes at the tiny figure. _"Unlike you, I trust him to do this one thing"._

The creature just scoffed at his symbol words and told him, _**"Let's just wait and see what choice he makes then".**_

They both watched as Pitch seemingly grew in power.

No magical words were spoken, nothing had to be mashed together and served into a pot and no sacrifices had to be made. It was a simple process even though it a couple of minutes, but in the end he had his power… and something else.

Sandy's lips squirmed as they wanted to burst out into a full on smile, but to ensure that Pitch wouldn't kill him, Sanderson managed to keep a straight face.

On the other hand, the Fearling burst out laughing, _**"HAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH! Oh fuck it to hell; this is too much for my sides to handle! Oi, Sandy are you seeing this crazy shit!? HAAHAHAHAHAA! No seriously, Pitch, what fuck happened to your hair"!?**_

The Nightmare King's eye twitched in irritation as he knew exactly why the creature was laughing. Unfortunately, when he had gained so much power like he once had that also meant that his hair had grown to the length it used to be when he had this amount of strength.

Stroking a hand through his rather long hair to actually get a sense of how long it really was, Pitch silently cursed to himself before becoming serious once again. "Sanderson be sure to hold that thing real tight. We don't want it escaping and trying to kill us again".

"_**HAAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAAHA"! **_The Fearling still continued to laugh with a grin on its face. _**"Hell, at least I go out laughing at your fucking hair, you son of a mother fucking bitch"!**_

He waited until the creature managed to quiet itself down before proceeding with what had to be done.

Once it was dead silent, Pitch raised a grey hand in the Fearling's direction and its head was yanked upward by an unknown force. Long streaks of blood began to pour from its now rolled back eyes and from its now open mouth. No sounds were made while this was happening but the Fearling sure as hell struggled to free itself.

Golden symbols quickly went up in the air as the tiny figure then had droplets of blood beginning to trickle down from its ears onto its neck. _"W- What's going on, Pitch"?!_

"I need silence, Sanderson, so for right now just keep a good hold on that thing and keep quiet". He responded to him without any tone in his voice. He then moved closer to the creature with the force on its body increasing in pain with each step closer Pitch came towards it.

"_**Pla- Plea- Please"! **_It struggled to spit out as its mouth was beginning to overflow with blood. _**"No! Do- Don- Don't do th- this"!**_

A cold, grey hand connected with its forehead and an audible heartbeat was heard from inside the Fearling's body. It just kept racing along like a galloping stallion.

_Faster…_

_Faster…!_

_Faster!_

_FASTER!_

Until it just stopped.

The Nightmare King's hand went down to the vessel's mouth and slowly pulled out a black blob from inside of mouth and within all the blood. The creature gave a dying whimper as it faded into its King's hand and simply fused with all of the other shadows that made up Pitch Black.

After that, his hair grew back to its shorter length and his muscles relaxed for the first time that day. He took in a deep breath and came to realize that it was all over.

Yep, it was finished at long last, the battle and the Fearling.

However, even after all of that, Pitch Black took the deceased child's body from the Sandman's arms and into his own arms. He didn't look at the face of the child for a few minutes, but when he did he only said one thing.

"Please… come back…"

* * *

**Heheheheh, cliffhanger once again, people! (Sorry I kind of like torture if you haven't taken notice of that already. Heheh, seriously, I am just kidding around when I say that.)**

**And do NOT worry, my readers, this is NOT the ending for this story.**

**However, the ending will come soon enough, so just keep that in mind.**

**So with all of that stated and clarified for ya, I must now bid you all a slight farewell and that will last until the next chapter is posted up.**

**So till the next chapter then!**


	28. Angel Of Afterlife

**This is the continuation from the twenty-seventh chapter into the twenty-eighth chapter of this here story.**

**So now that that's said and done, the newest addition to this story can now begin.**

* * *

**It Is Currently The Sandman's Point Of View:**

Thinking back to how all of this started and how it came to this very point, I could only bring myself to settle on one fact that was kept alive throughout all of this craziness.

The Nightmare King had never wanted anything terrible to happen to Soul from the moment he met her and even when the child now laid completely still in his arms. No matter how many times he asked that this battle and the slaughter never happened, the fact that Soul was dead wouldn't change.

Silently, I walked over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and down at me only to see me shake my head which told him there was nothing he could do now.

Pitch nodded after a couple of seconds, "… I… I know… Sanderson, I know… but I really just wanted to believe that for a split second there was some sort chance that she could still be..." Then his gaze went back to the rather large stab wound in the little girl's gut and he shook his head. "No… no, you are right… Soul is gone now… no matter how much power I gather… she will always remain dead from now on".

I gave a quiet sniffle as I looked upon her dead body and tried to imagine how much pain she felt before she was stabbed and as she was stabbed.

"_At least she… she is in a better place"._

"I hope so," Pitch muttered as he stood up with the body still held within his grip. "I mean thanks to me, Soul went out like a murderer. It's also thanks to me that that Fearling freely took control over her and ruined her life". His eyes looked to me with sadness overflowing in them. "Sanderson, I caused this child to go to hell before and after her life ended".

"_Pitch Black," _I silently gasped at his words and golden symbols appeared above my head. _"You did NOT send that adorable, yet vicious, little child to hell! Now I know I might just be guessing, but I think she loved her new life with you more than anything and everything in the entire universe! If anything, Soul went out loving you as a father figure and wanting nothing more than to die doing what you asked of her"!_

* * *

**Now It Is No Longer The Sandman's Point Of View:**

A moment of silence was shared between the two figures. The darker figure would've broken the silence and said something in return to Sandy's words, but a shout of joy interrupted him.

"THANK MIM, I'M BACK BABY"! Jack Frost flew up in the freezing air with his staff in hand. "TAKE THAT DEATH! HAHA, I LIVE AGAIN, SUCKERS"!

As they watched the boy fly around in the sky, Pitch and Sandy both guessed that Manny found the staff somewhere within the Nightmare King's evil lair and returned it to him when Jack came back to life for the second time.

"Well I guess that means everyone else is alive". Pitch sighed as he felt a knife's edge held against his back and he instantly knew whose hand held the sharp blade. "Nice to know that you are back to life, Bunnymund. What's the matter? Hell isn't working out for you"?

Thankfully, Aster gathered some patience and decided not to go off on a rant right then and there. Nope, instead he just kicked the back of Pitch's legs which instantly forced him to drop down to his knees.

"Oi, Sandy," Bunny said as his other hand grabbed the Nightmare King by the back of his neck and lifted him to his feet. "Do me a favor and take the tiny body from his arms and keep it away from him. We don't need him running off with the evidence that proves his kidnapping and changing children into Fearlings crimes". With that said, he then pushed the dull side of the knife against the dark figure. "You, get moving to the globe room before I have to carve into your back! We all have a bone to pick with you"!

Before Bunnymund shoved Pitch through the door leading into the next building of the workshop, the dark king managed to mutter, "Just thank your lucky stars that killing that insane Fearling drained a lot of my power, rabbit".

* * *

Pitch didn't even struggle as Bunny moved him along to the globe room. He knew this was coming and he might as well take his punishment or death like a man instead of going back and hiding in the shadows.

Holding his head up, the Nightmare King entered the gigantic room only to find North and Jack glaring at him with their hands balled up into tight fists.

"Is it too late to apologize for everything"?

"Do you really need to ask such an unneeded question, Pitch"? Jack asked him as he leaned against the main controls in front of the globe. "You already know that we're totally pissed off at you for killing us".

"Pissed off"?! North roared in an utter rage. "THAT DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE MY ANGER"! He pointed to Pitch and shouted, "YOU RUINED CHRISTMAS FOR CHILDREN ALL AROUND THE VORLD! KILLED MULTIPLE ELEVES AND YETIS! AND KILLED JACK, BUNNY AND I JUST SO YOU COULD KILL SOME FEARLING THAT WENT CRAZY! VHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF"!?

"_North, come on! At least he didn't try stealing Christmas"! _Sandy exclaimed through his golden symbols.

A cold, grey hand was raised to cut him off before he said anything else to the Guardian of Wonder. The dark kind then turned back around to face the little man and said, "I don't need you to help me out, Sanderson, I am certainly old enough to handle this kind of situation on my own".

"Then answer the man, ya loony". Bunny warned Pitch as he drew the knife close to his grey throat.

"Frankly, I seem to remember that I am the bad guy and that means I get to act evil towards you Guardians. With that being said, I get to play the role of the villain when I say I don't have to explain anything to you people". Pitch stated as he turned his gaze away from the two figures before him and moving his neck away from the blade.

"Well that is one hell of a shitty reply". Jack stated as he began to draw frost graffiti on the floor around his feet. "Come on, Pitchy, we are all immortals here, so we pretty much have all day to listen to your explanation… or the parts we don't already know by now".

"No".

"Come on,"

"I said no, Frost".

"You know you want to tell us, Pitchy".

"No I don't wish to tell you people anything"!

"Please,"

"No"!

"Please, oh please, with a cherry on top"!

"Son of a…" Pitch trailed off with his words as he began to mentally curse the young immortal in ancient tongues and languages that have been forever lost to the sands of time.

However…

"Pitch," Jack called the dark king's name out in a singsong tone. "Are you going to-" The boy's words went silent as Pitch held up a hand to motion for him to become quiet.

"If I tell you," The Nightmare King hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you promise to shut the hell up, and for Mim's sake stop calling me Pitchy"!?

The white haired boy only nodded with a smile stretched across his face. He sat down on the floor and awaited to hear the story like any excited child would be. North and Bunny remained standing as Sandy came walking near the main controls of the Globe of Belief and sat the lifeless body of Soul down on the floor near the controls.

Once the golden man turned back around to face Pitch Black, the dark figure had already begun to explain to _her _story and how it came into his own life story. From the moment they first met to each and every detail about her past. Yep, everything was explained (even though Pitch slightly skipped the part about torturing Jack Frost and thankfully Jack didn't bring it up) and once the story was brought to the moment of the present, well it came to the present. It was now time for the rest of them to draw this story to its conclusion.

North shook his head back and forth many times as he thought about everything that he had been told. Of course, he was still insanely furious with Pitch Black slaughtering some of workers and friends and sending his reindeer and his sleigh full of presents to the South Pole. Although, he couldn't doubt the fact that Pitch actually helped a child and tried his best to give her a new start at life.

Bunnymund basically thought the same thoughts North did but was glad that the Nightmare King put that pestering Fearling in its place by putting it out of its misery. He was also somewhat happy to notice Pitch acting like some sort of Guardian when he was around Soul.

Jack and Sandy were already clued in on most of this and were mainly surprised to hear that Pitch didn't harm the reindeer or plant a bomb in the presents. After everything that had happened today, however, they would somewhat trust the dark king a little more than they did before today.

In spite of all of that, it didn't matter what their thoughts on Pitch Black were now. It didn't matter how much they trusted him or felt kind of proud of him, because there was still one fact that none of that could change.

Casting his gaze upon the still, little body on the floor of North's workshop, the Nightmare King felt the need to look away as he said to the Guardians, "Wha… What should… should we… I mean… what should we do with the… um, Soul's… corpse"?

None of them answered him for what seemed like forever, but that was until they all came out and said, "We're sorry that this had to happen". Hell, even the Sandman had to pull out a golden handkerchief to wipe away a few golden tears he was starting to shed before he silently sniffled to himself.

"Poor little star," Aster sighed deeply as he walked over and laid a paw on the little man's shoulder. "He just hates it when he's near a little one that's passed on".

"Aye," North nodded as he kneeled down before the tiny figure. "Ve should move the body and take it somewhere vhere Soul vould have liked. Putting our own feelings aside; it is only reasonable that she gets a nice burial. Agreeable, Pitch"?

The Nightmare King simply and quietly nodded in agreement with the Guardian of Wonder and looked away from the lot of them as he tried to conceal his own silent sobs and shadowy tears.

As North went to pick the tiny off of the wooden floor, he quickly rose to his feet and took a few steps back as he saw something he didn't expect to see at that moment, and everyone else instantly took notice of it as well. A single moon beam shined through the top of the building and down onto the child's corpse, and the body began to rise off of the floor as the beam lifted it up into the air.

"Vait, vait," North shook his head as he realized what was happening. "This means only one thing".

Pitch Black only stood back and watched with wide eyes as he tried to convince himself that this was actually happening. After everything that he did too, but no, Manny was choosing to help him by doing the only thing he could do that could bring someone back to life.

"I don't believe it"! Bunnymund gasped at such a sight. "After everything that's happened too! This guy's Fearling went insane and tortured Jack and I whereas Pitch had murdered North and was probably going to kill Tooth and Sandy next"!

"Hey, maybe Manny is just trolling us, Bunny". Jack suggested as he stepped away from the globe controls.

The child's hair, once a deep brown with the last inch being blood red, quickly changed its old colors and became nothing but a crimson shade that seemed to put other shades of red to shame. Then her claw-like nails remained at their same threatening length as their coloring was altered from being totally black into a dark lavender. Her skin, which had already gone from pale to grey, was tainted by the moonlight and turned her skin whiter than Jack Frost's hair.

Once the coloring on the child's body finished up, an actual altering of the child's body began. Two, tiny horns quickly protruded from her forehead while her teeth became the same kind of teeth that a shark would have within its jaws. The moonbeam made it so that Soul's eyelids were opened to show that it was making the Fearling's golden, animalistic eyes vanish as a soft brown replaced the harsh yellow in her eyes.

The moonlight then gently set the body down as Manny said to the Guardians and the Nightmare King, _**"Soul Black is now given another chance at life, but make no mistake when I say that I turned this child for another reason other than just bringing her back to life. Other threats will appear in the future and I will call upon all of you, my Guardians, to fight against that evil. For now continue with your work and protecting the children of the world until I speak once again".**_

As Manny finished his sentence, no more words came after its ending. The Guardians simply agreed with his words and knew he would speak to them when that time came… well, whenever that was.

Still, another important matter was brought up right after the Man in the Moon finished talking.

"Soul…" Pitch muttered with a tiny smile on his face even though he still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. "He… he brought her back…"? His attention was brought to the child's body that laid on the wooden floor, not even four feet from him. "Soul…"?

* * *

**Soul's Point Of View:**

For what seemed like countless eternities, I laid in the darkness awaiting anything or anyone that could come to my aide. It was as if I was trapped in a coffin of shadows as kept still as a dead corpse while I slept in its cold confinement.

However, as I slept I received no dreams and no nightmares whatsoever. Nope, I could only hear the voice inside my head pleading and crying to live once again.

"_Send me a sign…"!_

The darkness stirred as it read my mind.

"_Sing the words of innocence and broken pride…"!_

The coffin began to shrink as my thoughts continued to plead.

"_Make my conclusions fail…"!_

No longer was I able to breathe due to the endless void stealing away my breath.

"_Send me a sign…! Please heal this broken melody…! Because with each passing day I wish not to die in hell"!_

The coffin of shadows then released me and allowed me to fall down into the endless void. Voices cried out to me but I could no longer hear them when I passed several dark souls that soon followed me into the darkness. I was traveling to a place that was beyond death, and yet I wasn't afraid of the fate that was set before me.

"_My time with fear has made me fearless…" _I thought to myself one last time before I was past the point of no return. _"Fearless… as life should be lived but not without caution… and not without kin"._

Leaning my head back into the void, I awaited my fate as I opened my eyes to watch the shadows above me fall down with me. However, I didn't see any shadows or any shadows for that matter. No, I saw a single beam of light fall down from above and catch me and my body before it was lost forever.

"_Wh- Why save me…"?! _I questioned the light as I thought back to all the terrible things I did during my time alive.

A man spoke to me but I couldn't hear what he said even though I knew he talked to me.

Still, right after he spoke, air rushed back into my lungs with a painful tug, and I clutched at my chest as I began to breathe once again. A second breath came, and a third, and a fourth. Even though it was slow, the pain eventually subsided and my vision came back as much as it could in the moonlight.

The light made it so that I could stand in the darkness and I barely managed to gather up all of my strength for my legs to stand on their own. I didn't go anywhere and just stood in the center of the shadows as the black void started to fade away.

I had no time to question any of this since my eyes instantly caught the sight of one of the most beautiful object ever to be placed within the night sky. Yep, my attention was drawn to the moon, and I immediately heard the same male voice, silvery and kind. The same voice that had spoken to me and had allowed me breathe once again. _"I place upon you the gift of the Chosen. The gift of Life itself"._

"Life, the gift of Life"? I questioned the man in the moon. "What do you mean by that? I don't understand what you mean by Chosen either"!

_"You are still Soul Black and you are to be the Guardian of Life"._

Then just as he finished saying those words, I knew he'd left me in the moonlight with nothing else and no one else around. As much as it wanted to question by what he meant and what the hell he was saying to me, the only thing that I could come to think of was the last thing he told me.

"I… I am the Guardian of Life"? I shook my head back and forth in total disbelief. "No… not me, man in moon…" I looked back up at the moon and yelled, "NOT ME"!

I was unworthy to be brought back to life and completely unworthy of protecting a life or even multiple lives.

For one thing, I tortured Jack Frost to the point he would have nightmares about his treatment for decades to come. The second thing is the fact that I slaughtered elves and Yetis and I never wanted to stop feeling their blood drip from my claws. That might have just been the Fearling's desire to kill but I knew that I could easily be persuaded into committing murder.

Still, I could go back and live with the Nightmare King and we could be a family once more. No more Fearling within my head wanting me to go over to a more animalistic side of my mind and murder everyone and everything in sight.

I gripped my necklace that was still somehow on my body and glanced up at the moon.

"Alright, man in moon, I hope I'm making the right choice here". I said to him before he shined a blindly beam down upon me.

* * *

**Another chapter is now completed, my readers, and this is the last chapter before the actual ending of the story. So the next post will be the last one for this fanfic.**

**Though, I might continue with this OC of mine and start another story with her and the Nightmare King (the Guardians included), but not right after this one is finished.**

**So with all of that said and done, I must now begin to work on the last part.**

**Till next time, people!**


	29. Your Heart, My Soul

**Ta-da! **

**This is the last chapter for Lingering Nights, my good readers, but before the chapter starts I have a few things to say to all of you out there.**

**First off: Thank each and every one of you that reviewed my story and shared your thoughts and feelings about each chapter and my own character as your thoughts helped sculpt this fanfic into what is it from the start to the finish.**

**The second thing: If you are asking the question, "Is this writer going to write a sequel to this fanfic"? The answer you are looking for would be most likely, however, I will not be making a sequel right after Lingering Nights is finished.**

**Yeah, you will have to wait a little while but not too long of a while if you are one of the readers asking about a continuation.**

**The third thing that is being said: The Man in the Moon (aka Manny) will be somewhat talkative this chapter instead of his usually silent self. Just saying this now due to the fact I'd thought I put it out there.**

**Fourth: It took a while for me to find all the information that I needed for this chapter so I hope you enjoy it. Hell, I even had to go to the Supernatural Wiki for some of the stuff that is going to be mentioned in this last chapter. Either way that is the reason why it kind of took a little bit to type up.**

**Fifth thingy on my list of stuff that is to be said: Nuff said!**

**So with all of that said and done, let's start the story already!**

* * *

**Starting Off With Soul's Point Of View:**

"I'm ready,"

"_Then what is your choice"? _

That was the last sentence he said to me before a long silence consumed the conversation. Thankfully, the man in the moon had plenty of time to spare for me since this really was the biggest decision of my life. Then that got me thinking, thinking about who I was and who I still am.

"Man in Moon," I pleaded to him. "Please… who am I"?

"_Who is Soul Black…"? _He questioned before I could actually feel him smiling down upon me and kindly saying, _"You are small and some may even call you adorable, but when people actually get to know you… well, they get to know the real you. You are creative with what you do, mysterious in multiple ways, and your ability to be fearless combined with your loving instincts allow you to be cautious but at the same time it makes you a great adventurer unlike any other throughout all of history. And at your center…"_

"At my center…"? I asked him as he trailed off.

The gleaming moonbeam surrounding me then instantly illuminated the dark void and showed me the vision of the earth, or how the earth used to look at least.

"What does my center have to do with the molten ball of lava the planet used to be"? I questioned the man in the moon.

"_Look closer," _He told me. _"What do you see"?_

I then turned my gaze back to the planet and watched as it unfolded into a burst of light. My jaw dropped as lushes plants burst into full bloom as entire oceans began to form the continents and islands with each curve of its powerful waves. Animals of every size, species and intelligence come out from the shadows of their caves, trees, grasslands, or even the very depths of the ocean itself.

"It's beautiful," I smiled.

"_Yes, but there is something you must know, Soul". _He stated clearly and firmly. _"Unforgettable memories are being made with each passing second of the clock. Each youngling that has been lulled to sleep receives a sweet dream. Wonder graces everything that has been created and leads everyone to explore new possibilities and adventures. Helpful hope fills each and every heart as the sun sets and rises on the horizon of their land or sea and eases creatures minds as they know everything will be alright. Mischievous fun roams free throughout the earth and allows any beast of any age to enjoy the planet that has been put before them"._

"What about fear"? I asked him as my smile slowly faded into a serious scowl. "People need fear in order to live, man in moon, even you know that".

"_Of course and there is the truthful fear that lies within each and every one of us". _He reassured me even though it sounded like he was slightly unhappy when he said it to me. _"There is fear in every living being that has ever taken a breath and even within a beast that has only ever graced its surroundings. It protects people and teaches them life skills, of course, but being a Guardian requires that you do only one thing. Protect the innocence of children with all of your power and possibly your very life. Pitch Black knows this but has a difficult time coping with the fact that if he crosses any lines that we might set up, we will have to put an end to any plan he might have come up with. Still, in spite of everything that has been said about the Nightmare King, Soul, do you see your center"?_

"Not really…" I muttered and then told him, "I just need a straight answer for once. I mean come on, man in moon, and grant a dead person's one last wish".

Another moment of silenced was shared between the two of us once again before my answer was given to me.

"_The protection of life," _He simply told me the answer right then and there.

"The protection of life"? I quietly questioned him as he finished his sentence.

"_Yes," _He replied. _"You hold within your heart a desire to protect those who are close to you from death, and you would do anything to make sure that those people would never die. That includes putting your own life at risk for the sake of those said people. It was what you were born with, a heart that would forever beat death and see to it that everyone remained alive. A heart that will never give out just because you are under pressure or dying. No, not even after you perish in battle would you give up trying to save them from beyond the grave. This desire is what you put into this wondrous world and what you must protect in children. You must protect life itself from any person that would dare try to drag a being of life into the darkness of death. This is what makes you a Guardian and it is your center, Soul. So believe me when I tell you that you are the Guardian of Life"._

I smiled at his words and felt a new wave of joy with each time I thought over what he told me, but even then I still felt the need to ask him one last question. "Mr. Moon… this is my destiny isn't it"?

"_It is only what you make of it, child". _The man in the moon said. _"However, that all depends on what your choice is. Soul, what is your decision"?_

I thought about everything he told me and felt my spiritual heart beat at the thought of being able to protect Pitch once again, and this time I would not fail him in the least bit. In which, I nodded my head in agreement with my train of thought before I told the moon, "I am Soul Black," I smirked while I allowed my next words to sink into my mind right prior to saying them. "And I will be the Guardian of Life".

A luminous moonbeam then engulfed my entire spirit and waves of light wrapped around me as I was overwhelmed by its unbelievable, mystical power.

In a split second, I was out like a light.

* * *

The silvery light vanished…

It became black as night…

No…

It became nothing but pitch black…

That was all I needed to see. Once I saw that I knew that these shadows clouding my vision wouldn't harm me, and realizing that I was safe at last, I allowed my lips to form into a soft smile.

"_Thanks…" _I thought as I knew that I was brought back to the land of the living._ "Thank you, Man in Moon". _I didn't even know if he could hear my thanks or if he even knew how grateful I was, but I hope he could just see the smile on my face and realize just how happy he's made me.

After my train of thought ran its course, my other sense started to work once more and I felt a sharp pain enter my chest as my heart began to beat for my second lifetime.

It took a few minutes for the pain to fade away and double that time for my heart rate to ease itself back to normal. All of my reactions to my death, my past life and the void that most likely led to hell all had to be processed, and I'm just lucky that the beating within my chest alone didn't cause me to die for a second time.

Before long, I carefully pulled my arms to my sides as I lifted my head off of the floor it was currently on. Breathing in the oxygen around me, I found that the air surrounding me was calming and warm while its scent was that of ginger and eggnog.

However, as I took in the mouth watering smells, I instantly tasted a thick, sticky substance that was all throughout my mouth. Hell, the stuff was even stuck to my sharp teeth- Wait what?!

"_No this couldn't be right"! _I thought to myself as I tried to convince myself that I probably just imagining things. Though I was proved wrong when I ran my tongue along the sides of the teeth. As I did that I realized that each and every one of them were triangular!

My teeth were now like a pair of shark's teeth aside from the animal's layers of choppers! At that same moment, I came to recognize the substance as blood, but the worst part about it was that I didn't know if this was my blood or someone else's!

The next second I forced my eyes to snap open and attempted to move my aching body and find out what else had been change while I was out.

Yeah… that was a slight mistake on my part…

Instantaneously, my spine popped out and back in place as I tried to sit up while every joint in my body snapped back into their rightful positions. Hell, even the veins cried out in pain as blood began to travel back and forth from the heart to every part of my body once again.

In spite of that, nothing hurt me more than the constant throbbing within my stomach. I simply gazed down upon my gut and saw the monstrous scar that was left over from the stab wound through the hole it made in my shirt.

"Oww…" I whined softly as I gently placed my hand over the scar.

Then I recalled the incident in a sudden second; Jack Frost had the chance to murder me and he took it the very last second it was available to him. At least he didn't try to kill me beforehand which that at least told me that slaughtering was the very last thing he would do to anyone. I mean I tortured the teenage immortal and carved into his stomach without any hesitation whatsoever, and if the Nightmare King told me that he wanted the boy dead then I would've slit his neck right then and there.

Of course, in the end it was Frost who had conquered his reluctant will not to commit murder and not I, the one who would end his life in a heartbeat if the situation called for it.

However, speaking of Pitch Black and Jack Frost...

My ears instantly perked upward as I heard footsteps coming closer and closer to where I was. I carefully turned around so that I wouldn't make my body ache anymore than it already did and never before had a smile ever been so welcome to appear on my face than that moment of my life.

"Soul… please tell me… is that you"? Pitch asked me in tone that was barely above that of a soft whisper.

No words were needed for my reply.

* * *

**It Is No Longer Soul's Point Of View:**

The spirit of life quickly and carefully got to her feet before dashing to the Nightmare King. He dropped down to his knee and then they both instantaneously embraced.

"I… I thought you… you were dead". Pitch told her as he picked her up to hold in his arms.

"The man in the moon brought me back," Soul reassured him as she wrapped her arms around his grey neck. "He also made me an immortal, but I seriously bet you'll never guess what I'm about to say next".

It was that moment that Soul took notice of the three Guardians as they approached both her and the dark king.

"Man in moon has made you Guardian," North stated right then and there. "Vith that in mind, I only have one question. Vhat has he made you Guardian of exactly"?

"Yes, North," Pitch flat-out snapped at him before Soul had a chance to answer him. "I was just about to take Soul away from here to explain to her what that moonbeam of a fool changed her into". He stood back up as he slowly started to walk away with the immortal child still in his arms.

"Ya ain't taking her anywhere anytime soon, ya miserable excuse for a shadow" Bunnymund strongly declared. "The little ankle bitter is staying right here! Or at least staying where the Guardians can train her to use whatever power she has for good and not your bloody evil"!

"She will _not _be used as some sort of weapon for you people"! The dark king's eyes flared up in rage at the very mention of such an impossible idea. "Not while I am still very much alive and well"!

"Yeah," Soul added in. "I am definitely not going anywhere where Pitch isn't! You people can't make me do anything"!

Bunny just shrugged before cracking his knuckles in threatening fashion. "Well then, I guess we just have to make sure that the said Nightmare King ain't alive and kicking"! He went to grab one of his boomerangs only to find that a golden whip wrapped around his wrist as he attempted to do so. "Oi, Sandy, let me go"! The Pooka shouted as he tried to free his wrist from the sand.

Golden symbols went flying up into the air as the Sandman shook his head at the Pooka. _"Bunnymund, it is not our place to say where fellow Guardians go and with who and what they do with whoever they are with. It only becomes our business when they endanger a child's life or they go against what the man in the moon has instructed them to do. None of us should forget that". _Sandy then turned his gaze over to the tiny immortal within Pitch Black's arms. _"Soul, can you please tell us what the man in the moon told you about your new powers"?_

"How come the rest of you aren't as nice and polite as the Sandman"?! Soul questioned Jack Frost, North and Bunny. She didn't wait a split second for any of them to answer her before she responded to Sanderson's question. "And yes Sandy, I can tell you what you want to know". She placed a hand on her chest as she smirked with slight pride as she said, "The man on the moon has made me the Guardian of Life".

There was never a silence as long as that of the silence that came after she said those words. The Guardians were not blinking (and not even breathing for a few seconds) while each and every one of their jaws slowly lowered down.

On the other hand, the Nightmare King simply and gently set the immortal child down of the floor and then simply and easily raised his right hand to his head as he instantly received a raging migraine the very second after Soul had told them what she now was.

"Um, guys"? She piped up after a handful of minutes passed by.

None of them replied to her.

"Uh… Yoo hoo! Guys"?

Yep, still nothing.

She then waved a hand up in the air to try and grab their attention (or see if they were still alive). After that she simply gave up and plopped down on the floor as she waited

Thankfully and finally, North managed to get back to his senses and was the first one of them to say anything on this new information.

"Guardian… of Life…" He questioned her slowly and carefully. "He said that… man in moon said that to you? Exactly like that, yes"?

"Ah, I guess so," She shrugged her shoulders as she explained this to the lot of them. "I mean he had a conversation about my center with me and told me what I was to protect in children all around the world. The next thing I know, POOF, I'm a Guardian. The only thing I don't understand are you guys. I mean yeah I'm a protector of children everywhere, big deal. It's a normal day for you guys".

"You don't understand, Soul," Pitch muttered as he continued to hold his hand over his face. "You… You aren't on the same level as these buffoons".

"Hey," Jack Frost snapped back at him.

Naturally he was ignored by the dark king and Pitch continued to talk. "There are others that the man in the moon has resurrected that… that are as powerful as you now are".

Soul tilted her head a bit to the side as she didn't see where their conversation was going. "What? Am I different now? How the hell can you people consider me different compared to the whole lot of you? We're all different here".

"Listen," Bunnymund said as he jumped right into their little talk. "He's trying to tell ya that ya have been given a role in life that is greater than being the Easter Bunny, being Santa, playing the Tooth Fairy, acting like the Boogeyman, portraying yourself as the Sandman and greater than screwing around like Jack Frost".

"Well who's bigger than five Guardians and the Nightmare King"? She asked right after he finished his sentence.

"Have you ever heard of Father Time"? Pitch Black questioned the tiny child as he lowered his hand from his head and folded both of his hands behind his back. "The Grim Reaper perhaps, or maybe even Mother Nature"?

"Of course," Soul nodded her head in agreement. "What the hell do they have to do with me"? She asked the dark king as she began to stand up once again.

"_Soul, you might want to sit down for this". _Sandy told her through his symbols.

"No thanks, Sandy, whatever it is I'm certain I can handle it. I mean I did somewhat handle the fact that I was turning into a homicidal Fearling didn't I? What the hell could be worse news than that"?

Shrugging, the little, golden man came over and stood to the child's side as she stood up. _"Just thought I'd tell you in case you couldn't take in every bit of this at once"._

"Soul," North tried to put this as carefully as he could. "You… um… er, vell you… no… Vell, they are far more powerful than us… and Pitch can be as powerful as them… and even more powerful than… man in moon. He is not that powerful right now as you can see. Either vay, you are the… long-awaited Guardian that man in moon hoped vould be born into this vorld".

"Ok," Soul said uneasily as she was just hoping that they just tell her what she exactly was.

"You are one of the Vigilante Immortals," Bunnymund said. "Though you are just the Guardian of Life, you are in the same boat with Mother Nature, Father Time and the Grim Reaper. Each one of you rules your domains and uses your powers as you see fit, but in the end you answer to Manny".

Then the childlike immortal tilted her head a bit to the side. "Manny"?

"Man in moon," Jack told her. "Although, sometimes we just call him Manny".

"That's beside the point we're trying to make here, Frostbite". Bunny told the white haired teen before he turned his attention back to Soul. "It was said at one point that Grim was born at the beginning of time and he was born as an entity that had no need to be turned into an immortal by the man in the moon. Now that was definitely before this galaxy even existed and way before any of us were born. The man in the moon came into the picture not long after the Nightmare King was created and it was a little time after that that Manny knew he would need some allies on his side if Pitch ever got extremely powerful at some point".

"Alright I get all of that," Soul nodded. "But how the hell do you people know this information".

Sandy then raised his little golden hand up in the air and caught the girl's attention before he began to speak through symbols once again.

"_Bunnymund, Pitch, Manny and I all came from somewhere out in the universe to this little planet. I don't exactly remember when each of us came here but I do know that the Guardians overthrew Pitch right at the end of the Dark Ages. Although, Grim Reaper, Father Time and Mother Nature didn't help us out with that"._

The Nightmare King scoffed, "Thank you, Sanderson," He said sarcastically. "Still, I'm certain that we've all listened that story a thousand times by now. There is no damn need to bring it back up for the millionth time. Just finish up with information if you would".

Sandy stuck his golden tongue out at the dark king before proceeding to the info.

"_Either way, Father Time is the only other Vigilante Immortal to be born on Earth other than you, Soul. Manny befriended Time a couple hundred years ago, and then North was one of the first Guardians to meet him in person"._

"Aye," North proudly smiled. "Though, it has been quite some time since I've seen him. He tends to travel around a lot of the time".

Jack shook his head even though he had a slight grin on his face. "North… please no bad puns… not now".

Sandy ignored them and continued to talk through his symbols. _"In spite of that, Time was not the first one that Manny met. Nope, he found Mother Nature out somewhere in the universe and managed to convince her to come to Earth to assist in his mission to keep the children safe from dark forces. I heard from Manny, himself, that the only reason she agreed to do so because she never wanted another child to feel the same pain as she did when she was little. He told me that her father was killed by Fearlings when she was but a youngling"._

"Sounds like a reasonable reason why she came". Soul nodded her head and then turned to the Nightmare King. "Pitch, have you ever met her before"?

The dark king simply shook his head as he casted his gaze elsewhere. "No… I have never met her… not once in my entire life as Pitch Black".

"Oh…" The child muttered. "Just thought I'd ask. Ok Sandy, you can continue".

"_Then there was Death, also known as the Grim Reaper". _The golden immortal told her with not so happy symbols flying up into the air. _"He has been around since the beginning of time and plans on making sure that everyone that has ever been born or will be born will die before he dies. __He has been an immortal since the moment he was born, and has been said that nothing and no one can kill him no matter what they try. He can raise the dead of any race or species and resurrect anyone he wants whenever he wants. Death is omniscient and is omnipotent and enjoys using those two powers quite frequently from what Manny has told me. __Actually, now that I think of it, I remember meeting him once and he looked completely different than you look now, Soul, but once again you guys are opposites. He rules over and protects anything having to do with death and you do the same but with life. Also-"_

"Wait a second," Soul interjected. "What do you mean by he looks completed different than me? I look the same as I did… I mean I still look the same, right"? She glanced at the facial expression of the immortals before her and noticed right away when they turned their gaze elsewhere. "Pitch…"? The child called out to her father figure.

He let loose a sigh of regret and shook his head as he snap his fingers to summon one of his Hell Hounds. The hound appeared but instantly bolted right out of the room only to return a few seconds later with a mirror's handle clenched within its jaws. The beast walked up to the child and held the mirror part of the object in front of her.

"W- W- What the…"?! Soul gasped as she took in the sight of her new look. "I- I look… I- I mean I'm… t- this is…"!

The Nightmare King kneeled down next to the child and placed his hands on her shoulder in order to give her some sort of comfort or reassurance that he was here for her.

"Soul… now I know this is a shock to you…" Pitch said to her. "Though, no matter how long it will take, I will assist you in a way that you are comfortable with your new-" His sentence was stopped right then and there as the child let out something along the lines of a squeal of delight.

Soul smirked as she actually jumped up and down in joy. "I love it, I love it, I love it! I mean I have little devil horns and actual claw-like nails"! She ran a hand through her hair and giggled happily as she saw that it was the same color the whole way around. "Even my hair, which I have to say is the best shade of red I've ever seen in my whole life! I love it"!

"Wait," Pitch tried to calm her down. "You're completely ok with how the man in the moon has altered your appearance? I mean you just seemed scared to death for a second there".

The childlike immortal stopped bouncing up and down for a second to answer his question. "Pitch, I love my new look, but the only thing that bothers me is the fact I have sharp teeth now". She grinned to show off the razor sharp teeth and then said, "If I accidently bite my tongue, my tongue will be in two pieces, or if I bite the side of my mouth, I'd have taken a chunk out of my mouth".

Leaning back against the main controls of the globe, Jack Frost slung his staff over his right shoulder and eyed the Guardian of Life for a few seconds. "How come she looks like the Guardian of Death more than Life"? He questioned as he finished looking over her new appearance.

Golden symbols flew up in the air once again and translated out to say, _"Jack, I did say that Death and Soul are total opposites and that they were dressed completely different as well"._

The teenage immortal then slightly frowned, "Then what does Death look like? Strawberry Shortcake"?

Sandy silently snickered at Jack's last comment before sending up more symbols into the air. _"No, no, the Grim Reaper looks like a tall, lithe man with dark hair, and I recall that he had a scythe slung over his shoulder like you slung your staff"._

Frost turned his attention to the Nightmare King and dramatically gasped, "P- Pitch"!? He stammered even though it wasn't the dark king.

"Shut up and stop provoking me to kill you". Pitch muttered as he sent the boy a quick glare.

"_Continuing with the topic of Death," _Sandy's symbols translated out to say as he ignored the bickering of the two. _"He doesn't look like a skeleton-"_

"Oh well then that isn't Pitchy here". Jack nodded with a sheepish grin.

"**Need** I slit your neck, boy"!? The Nightmare King started to raise his voice in irritation. "And **stop **calling me 'Pitchy'"!

The Sandman glared at the two with the facial expression of _are you serious _and went back to the explanation. _"The Grim Reaper looks like a normal man compared to Soul, who pretty much looks like a little female version of the devil"._

"Yeah…" Soul raised an eyebrow as she attempted to take that as some sort of complement instead of an insult. "Thanks Sandy… I guess…"

"So with all of that said and done," Bunnymund stepped back into the picture as he stepped closer to the tiny child. "What are we going to do along the lines of a punishment for Pitch and Soul? I mean Manny wouldn't like it if we killed his newest Guardian, but we can kill Pitch, right"? The Pooka almost seemed excited as he said the last part of that sentence.

"Bunny"!? Soul whipped her head around to glare the giant rabbit.

"_Seriously…"? _Sandy's symbols translated out to say. _"Why are you bringing this up now"?_

"The explanation has been explained and now I want my revenge for getting slaughtered by a Fearling"! The Pooka burst out as he clenched his furry hands into furry fists. "Now I say we tie him to a cactus, slit open his stomach and stomp on his intestines like there's no tomorrow"!

"…" Soul's jaw dropped as she raised both eyebrows in shock. "Wow… you are… totally insane…"

"Nah," Jack Frost said. "He's just steaming mad. He threatened to do the same thing to me the winter of '68".

Bunny turned to North and more or less shouted out, "Come on! Ya with me, North"!?

The man didn't answer as his gaze was set on several trails of blood that were slowly making their way into the globe room. "No," North flat-out declared as he came to realize that he had held in rage and sadness for far too long.

"N- No"!? Bunny stammered out. "N- North are ya s- serious!? This bloke beheaded ya Yetis and ya elves without a second thought, but you're just going to let him waltz right out the door like none of this happened?! What about ya believers?! It's Christmas and there is not a single Christmas present being delivered right now and it's almost three am in the morning"!

"Bunny calm down and shut up"! He snapped in a harsh tone he wouldn't normally use. "I know vhat has happened but there is no vay to fix it and there is no going back! Even if ve all tried to go the South Pole, hitch up my team and deliver the presents it vould be too late! Just look"!

It was true. The ceiling above was crumpling into dust as multiple lights on the globe started to go out.

"Children are waking up all around the world and finding out that their precious Santa never came". Pitch stated for all of them to hear. "It's just a simple thing really…"

"But for a child… it's everything". Soul finished his sentence for him as her eyes widened at the sight of the lights going out. She knew she was supposed to be on Pitch Black's side but it was something within her that couldn't stand the idea. The idea of a lonely child waking up to expect a friendly toy awaiting them but finding out that there was nothing waiting.

North walked over to the fireplace behind the controls and stared into the dying flames. "Christmas is one time a year and if that time isn't met… then it's all over for me and everything that I protect… No more wonder…"

Pitch then picked Soul off of the ground and slowly started to make his way to the shadows of the room. "I trust it is alright that we both leave now, North"? He asked without even turning his head towards the man.

"Just leave…" He answered with a cold tone.

"North wait"! Jack Frost tried to help his friend. "Maybe we can-"

"I SAID GET OUT"! The Christmas figured roared at the teenage immortal and then at the rest of them. "LEAVE ME TO DIE AND GO PROTECT YOUR OWN HOPES AND DREAMS"! He turned back to face the ashes of the fire and said nothing else as the other began to do as he said.

The Easter Bunny tapped the floor and gave his friend and rival one last glance before jumping down the hole and traveling back to his Warren. Jack Frost hid his face as he threw his hood over his head and flew up into the air and to somewhere else.

It was only the Sandman who turned to the shadows and noticed a little head peering over the Nightmare King's shoulder.

"_Please… Soul…" _A golden tear was wiped away as very few symbols flew up into the air. _"Please… Guardian of Life… help us this one time…"_

The Sandman then started to float out of the room but stopped when he heard someone snap their fingers. He turned back around to see that nothing had changed and that Soul and Pitch had gone back to the shadows.

"_I see…" _Sandy sadly thought to himself before he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye.

A light.

No two lights.

No ten lights.

No a hundred lights came back on in an instant and many more were flicking back on after they had been turned off for quite some time.

"_N- N- North"! _Sandy gasped and tried to grab the man's attention. It was only the second after that that he realized once more that he was a mute and no one could hear him.

Quickly floating back down to the Christmas figure, Sanderson grabbed North by the sleeve and yanked him closer to the globe.

"NO"! He shouted. "SANDY, I VON'T LOOK AT THE LIGHTS-" He then noticed how bright the globe was becoming second after second. "… Coming back on…"?

It was true. Each and every light that had even threatened to flicker off was set straight and kept glowing to show that that child had complete belief and trust in the Guardians.

"But how"!? North questioned with a smile planted on his face. "How is happening"!?

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

All around the world Christmas presents were popping up in front of the Christmas tree. Children that were witnessing this were instantly jumping up and down in joy that their wondrous holiday had come at last.

Sure they didn't get to see their Santa but seeing presents magically popping underneath the tree was proof enough that he had been there.

* * *

**Now Back To The North Pole:**

"Vho did this, Sandy"!? North smiled with joy as he never felt this much belief before in his life.

"_Let's just say you can thank our newest Guardian". _The Sandman smiled warmly as he silently thank the said Guardian for her assistance. _"She might be troublesome and somewhat of a greenhorn, but I have a feeling that she'll have a great future lying ahead of her. May the moon shine ever in her favor". _One last golden symbol flew up into the air as the Sandman remained silent to watch the rest of the lights shimmer brightly and happily.

* * *

**The Nightmare King's Realm Of Darkness:**

_Silence…_

_For the first time all day…_

_There was nothing but silence…_

Hell Hounds retired to the depths of the realm to rest up as Night Mares continued their duty and were sent out to give children nightmares.

_Everything was still…_

_No one dared to move…_

The Nightmare King, himself, had just finished collapsing on top of his bed after he had set the child that was within his arms down on the other side of the bed. Truly, he felt the need to sleep for a few centuries or so due to the fact that that power surge and the drainage of that power really took a lot out of him. He didn't let it show in front of his enemies but nearly collapsed as he stepped into the shadows.

Sliding underneath his black covers, Pitch Black closed his eyes and had hoped sleep would come fast.

"Pitch"?

Well that plan went to hell.

Slightly opening one eye up, the dark king looked to the tiny child that was snuggled close to his shoulder. "What is it, darling"?

"Aren't you going to tell me what I did was bad or something"? Soul asked.

"No…" He yawned. "You are the Guardian of Life now… if you choose to help North out by making it so that the presents were delivered by the will of life then that was your choice. Now I wouldn't have done that but I am not you and you aren't me".

"Oh…" She nodded at his words. "I only did it because Sandy asked me to help".

"You did that for him"? Pitch said. "Well just make sure he doesn't grow used to such assistance, Soul. You are on the same level of Death, himself, now and you are capable of great and multiple things. Don't let the weak take control over you".

"Ok…" The child agreed. "One last thing… it is just that…" She trailed off with her words.

"Hm…"? He questioned. "What is it"?

Soul snuggled her way onto his grey, bare chest and leaned up to plant a tiny kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight father… and merry Christmas…"

Pitch Black smiled warmly and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight… Soul Black".

* * *

**Yes the ending is here at last… and yes you are allowed to cry now if you want to.**

**Now there WILL be a second story to this but not right away. With school starting back up and everything it is going to be hard to find time to type and write.**

**So this is the final time I say goodbye for this story then…**

**Well I hope you, my readers and reviewers, enjoyed this fanfic.**

**Till whenever the next time is! :J**


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